Transformers Prime Season 3 Episode 3: Headmaster
by LuisJM
Summary: After what Team Prime had been through in Darkmount, they headed to Sumdac Systems, per Sari's request, to give them a bit of a break. But during their visit, they encountered a new threat and MECH making their return. Meanwhile, Jack needs to learn about controlling his new Prime powers with the help of Optimus. COMPLETE!
1. Godfrey

**Well, back by popular demand is another Transformers Prime Season 3 episode of my making. I got to say; I'm enjoying writing this story as much as all the others I've done, giving that the episodes has much popularity as the rest. Guess no one is into Titans much, even though I'll make some more in the near future. But what the Hell, if people are requesting this I'll do it anyways. And you know what, I want to do something else completely different.**

**See there have been people telling me to continue to episode ark with episode three, but I was also thinking of adding an extra story about the invasion of Jasper. See, episode four would be about John and Elsa returning to investigate what happened to John's family. And if you still don't know what I'm talking about, best read Transformers Prime: John and Elsa just so you can catch up. So this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to do a chapter for each story at a time. One on this chapter and one on the other. Yeah, I know it will be a bit confusing, but really I need to do something until I can finish the John and Elsa story. So if you're uncomfortable about that, I understand entirely. Just got to get use to it.**

**Also, I'm starting to work with FictionFan1024 on a little collaboration Fanfiction for Transformers Prime. It's a crossover between TFP and Bioshock Infinite called Transformers Infinite and it takes place in FictionFan's TFP universe, not mine. If you're interested in reading that, you better check out FictionFan's work. Start reading Transformers Prime and Sari episodes 1 – 4. Not want to spoil anything, but you might enjoy what he has done. Hell, I've shared some ideas with him many times for his stories and if worked out well in many occasions. Trust me, you might like his work.**

**Now for the story, I don't know if most of you Prime fans knew this or not, but there was an Animated ark on Cartoon Network that lasted three seasons until they cancelled it unexpectedly. They were planning a fourth season, at least that's what Wikipedia says, but due to Cartoon Network's excuse to shitty scheduling, they canned the series entirely. But it was a nice show and had a lot of interesting characters. They've even had some human bad guys the Autobots had to face; some are good, some very bad. I mean c'mon, Professor Princess? Did some writer's kid come up with that idea? Anyways, there was one human enemy that was unique in a way. His name is Henry Masterson, or Headmaster for his villain name. He's sort of a combination of every bad guy in TV and movies, from obsession of one individual, to rejection, revenge, and the occasional psychopath. An all out bad guy. Thought it will be perfect to have him in the TFP universe. This will also be the return of MECH as well as they start to prepare Project: Noah. Thought I give the Decepticons a break since they have a lot of rebuilding to do from the Predacon incident. Don't worry; they'll come back in the next episode. Until then, let's move on with this episode for now on. Here's a brief summary…**

**After what the team been through in Darkmount, they headed to Sumdac Systems, per Sari's request, to give them a bit of a break. But during their visit, they encountered a new threat and MECH making their return. Meanwhile, Jack needs to learn about controlling his new Prime powers with the help of Optimus.**

**It would be a short story with a couple of chapters long compared to the last two. But of course it depends on college work, part time job, or any other random things that would happen. But we'll see what happens.**

**Chapter Notes**

**Now I did say that Masterson will be the main part of the story, but not until the next chapter. But for this chapter, I'm going to add a character named G. Gordon Godfrey from the Young Justice Invasion series. Godfrey is sort of a news anchor you can see on any news channel, always giving out negative claims on things like aliens being potential enemies, no matter how good they are. He seems like the potential candidate for controversial humans who are weary of aliens on Earth. There will be another surprise later on in the story, though I don't know if it will work or not. But we'll see.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Prime (or any other characters from other shows).**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Transformers Prime Season 3  
Episode 3: Headmaster

Previously on Transformers Prime…

After the mission of rescuing the Autobots from MECH, Rodimus received a message from Vector Prime through the realm of the Primes. The message was news that Optimus Prime is alive. Sadly, that's the good news. The bad news is that he was held captive within Darkmount. Awaking from his dream state, he called the Autobots and shared them the news. At first they thought that it was impossible, but if this news is true and Optimus is alive, they need to rescue him. Of course, the problem is that Darkmount is protected by a huge force field that prevents anyone from getting in. Firewall managed to fix that problem by using his hacking ability to modify the ground bridge to match the same energy signature as the dome. Then there's the problem with who will go in, giving that the Autobots are potential targets for the Decepticons. Luckily, Jack insisted that he, Raf, and Miko would go in because they are now Cybertronians and the enemy won't detect them as a threat. The team was hesitant about this, but have no choice in the matter.

Once everything was ready, the recruits went through the portal and into Decepticon territory, with Sari and Sam sneaking into the action. During the journey, they entered the town of Jasper and saw the aftermath of the Decepticon invasion. It was even worse when they encountered Decepticons in the town and tried to get out of the battle. Unfortunately, due to some random circumstances, they got caught in the battle and tried to make an escape. During their escape, they encountered new enemies and defensive the Autobots have never faced before in their lives. When the heat got too hot, they three bots and the two humans went into the sewers and decided to head to Darkmount underground. There, they met with survivors that escaped the onslaught and remain hidden within the fallout shelter. With the help of Captain Lasky and Commander Palmer, they found their way to the Omega One base and survived an onslaught of Scraplets and Insecticons. They also made an ally of their bully Vince and befriended a Scraplet Sari named Sparkplug. After going through the turmoil's and challenges they've been through, the group managed to infiltrate Darkmount and regained communications with Team Prime. Once the team got through, they began splitting up as one group rescue the Prime with the others recovers the Iacon Relics. The recruits however remained at the communication station just so the team could have a bridge back to the base.

The mission though went down south real fast. While Arcee, Bumblebee, Ratchet and Altra searched for their leader, they were assisted by a lone Vehicon who thinks Megatron's new direction was wrong. He was truly a trustworthy ally in the mission. Meanwhile, Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Smokescreen went to get the relics the Cons took from them. But while they were getting the relics, Smokescreen tried to get the Prime weapons. Unfortunately, he accidentally triggered the alarm and alerted the Cons of their arrival. Due to that little incident the team fought their way through to reach the rendezvous point. Unfortunately, Megatron found out about it and sent Shockwave, Soundwave and Knockout to head to the comm. center. The three recruits fought valiantly against the three Cons, but they were defeated as they and the human teens were taken to Megatron. After deep questioning, Megatron found out that these young Neutrals were in fact the Autobots human friends and was delighted to hear the news. With the news of the Autobots making an escape, Megatron order his men to take the team into the courtyard while sending the recruits to them. The team got to the courtyard in the most odd predictions and fought their way through. Though they succeeded, they soon realize that they were trapped as Megatron brought the recruits to them and knew about the truth. It got even worse as the Vehicon that assisted them got captured too and got thrown into the courtyard like the others. And just as things couldn't get any worse, they were confronted with the Decepticons latest weapon, a dangerous Cybertronian dragon that goes by the name of Predaking.

The group fought valiantly against this monstrosity and although Vehicon died unexpectedly, the others kept on going. But no matter what they tried, nothing seems to work. Rodimus though thought it would be a good idea that he could jump on it and stab the creature with his broken broad sword. Sadly, that didn't go well as he was thrashed about and crashed right through the Darkmount wall. Everyone thought he was good as dead, but he survived the onslaught and was unconscious for the moment. But just as he was out, he was visited by Vector Prime and knew of the truth. That Jack was destined to become a Prime. Waking up, he used his Vector Sigma key, which has the Matrix of Leadership from within, to insert it into his spark chamber. Feeling the surge of power in him, he was reborn into the new Prime he was claimed to be. Feeling reborn, he had to get himself a weapon in stopping the beast. Rushing to the treasury, he spotted the Star Saber sword and Forge and used them to his advantage.

Outside, the Autobots kept fighting Predaking and was pulling all the stops to defeat it. Yet still, it was impossible to take down. So much so that the Predacon blew up the energon and earth fuel to disable them temporarily. With the team down and Optimus disabled in the legs, Megatron knew that his victory was near. Before the creature could deliver one striking blow to the leader, Rodimus appeared above and hit it with the Forge hammer. The team didn't think for a second that he would come in and save the day. But what surprised them more is that he had the Star Saber Sword connected to his arm, as he was a changed person. The battle between him and the Predacon was fierce and they shared crucial blows to each other. But then in the climax, Jack used his sword to cut the creature's center chamber, blowing it up completely and destroying it. He'd even used the sword to topple the statue of Megatron and buried to the armada completely before passing out from using his newly formed energy, giving the team ample time in escaping through the Cons spacebridge hub.

In the end, the group made it out with not just their leader, but also some new allies and new Prime. Vince joins Team Prime to help against the Decepticon threat, and Arcee has a sparkmate in Jack. What none of them didn't know what that another evil was going to be in the way. That evil involves MECH as they begin building the Director's latest work he took from the Autobots. That work is Project: Noah, MECH's own ground bridge.

* * *

Optimus Prime: _"These are truly trying times for all of us. But if we can overcome it, then together we will stand united and end this war that's now plagued your world. The attack in Jasper marks the end of the old world. Now has begun the beginning of the new world and together, we can live through this. I am Optimus Prime, and I got a message for the humans on Earth. War has come to your world, but rest assure. No matter what the obstacles, no matter the hardships, we will always have one thing that can secure our future. Hope."_

As soon as Optimus's speech was over, there was a brief pause as some voice came from the background.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "That's right folks, you heard him. War has come to our world but he said that no matter what the obstacles, the hardships, and all that other nonsense, we will always have one thing. Hope."

Just then, a man in his forties with short blonde/brown hair that is slicked back and was wearing a suit appeared from the side of the screen and was acting the coy. This person was G. Gordon Godfry, a news corresponder that has his own show involving controversial topics and providing negative feedback. And the news of the alien invasion is the latest topic on his list.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Oh I know what all of you were thinking. Godfrey, these Autobots aren't like the aliens that attacked Jasper, Nevada. They are not as bad as those in the desert. Really? Well let me ask you a quick question. If these aliens were meant to protect and assist us, then where were they when the occupants of Jasper WERE BRUTALLY MURDERED!"

In the studio in Washington, Godfrey was standing there while digital screens showed Optimus's face at the end of the speech. He continued to boast about these new alien species.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Look around you. What did you see for the past few weeks. Before this, we always thought that we were alone in this world. That aliens only exist in movies and TV shows. But now it would seem that these beings are real. But instead of them coming in peace, they went into war with us and killed the population in the town. Yet while Jasper's residents were slaughtered, these Autobots as they are called were nowhere to be found. And worse so is that the suits in Washington have never mentioned about them here on Earth."

Then a couple of photos appeared on the other screen showing appearances of Autobots on a couple of occasions. The news anchor continued with his report.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "We recently received photos from concern citizens that have been posted on extraterrestrial websites. These photos show a few of them showing up near desolate areas when concerned humans were nearby. These photos prove to everyone that aliens have not only existed, but also lived on this planet before this invasion actually happened. But the one thing that concerns me is how long they kept their existence from us."

A huge emblem of the US government appeared on the huge screen as he kept on talking.

G. Gordon Godfry: "What did the United States Government hide this even before the invasion started? Well, why don't we get right down to business? I've got Cat Grant at the Pentagon looking for some answers. Miss Grant?"

* * *

The scene then changed to outside of the Pentagon in Washington where a woman around her thirties with blonde upper back length hair, blue eyes, and a fancy red dress waiting for someone to come.

Cat Grant: "Thank you Godfrey. I'm here at the entrance to the Pentagon, waiting to get an answer from the top officials. So far, no word on the response neither from the attack in Jasper nor from this speech from the one called Optimus Prime. But I'm certain that we will get the information everyone wanted to know."

She then turned to the left and saw a few people that can give her some answers.

Cat Grant: "We're just in luck! We got two individuals that were in charge of the evacuation of Jasper, Nevada. Captain Thomas Lasky and Commander Sarah Palmer."

Coming down the left was a man in his early forties with brown hair and eyes, wearing a standard military uniform with a patched badge of his rank and a woman with short brown hair in a bun and wearing a standard uniform compared to the battle armor she had on. They were in fact Lasky and Palmer as they passed Cat while she was following them.

Cat Grant: "Lasky, Palmer! Can we have a few minutes of your time? I want to speak to you about what happened in Jasper."

But the two ignored her as Palmer told her to leave.

Commander Palmer: "No comment…"

Cat continued to follow them, as she still wanted to ask some questions.

Cat Grant: "But Godfrey would want the viewers to know about the goings on that happened few weeks ago. This won't take too long."

But then, the group entered the building as another person peeked through the door. It was a black man who looks a little overweight and has a parting frizzled hair. That person was Agent Fowler, both the former Army Ranger and liaison of the Autobots. He looked to the female reporter and told her to leave.

Agent Fowler: "Ms. Grant, I can understand that Godfrey desperately wants an explanation about the commotion that happened weeks ago. But the top officials ordered us that that news shouldn't be shared to the public at this moment. However, once the matter has been taken care of, some of the officials will share with you all you need to know. Now please leave the premises before I have security to escort you out."

He then shut the door in front of her face as the woman looked to the camera a little dumbfounded.

* * *

Back to the news station, Godfrey looked on and was irate not only by the shut out, but who was talking to Grant.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Did you see who that was that shut out my correspondent? That was William Fowler, an agent within the government. We have keen insiders that said that he was once an Army Ranger a long time ago, but also, and if I'm reading this correctly, was once the liaison of these alien beings. This is far beyond what we've expected. How deep does this alien conspiracy goes? Who is the poison party responsible for keeping their existence under wraps? Did our nation's president know about all of this?"

* * *

G. Gordon Godfrey: _"And the most important question, are these Autobots fighting on our side? And if so, can we trust them?"_

Sari: "Urgh… Heard enough from that moron."

Immediately, the channel changed and someone was watching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The person who changed the channel was Sari as she was enjoying her breakfast before her day at school. It has been a few days since she and Sam were taken by MECH and rescued by the Autobots, along with saving Optimus from Megatron's clutches at Darkmount. Thankfully, it was those days that were pretty much the weekend and none of the students in school knew about what happened to her during that whole time. And to her, she feels okay with that. Sure she almost died from both MECH and the Decepticons, but she's still in one piece. Not to mention that all she'd been through gave her a very special pet. As she was enjoying her cereal, Professor Sumdac entered the kitchen to see her watching some TV. He smiled in knowing that he still has his daughter after what she'd been through. Ever since his wife died many years ago, he felt like protecting her from anything, no matter what. But now that the Autobots arrived, he has no idea how to protect her. And since then, he knew he's going to get his hands full. Trying to forget about his worries, he decided to greet his daughter.

Professor Sumdac: "Good morning Sari. I hope you're feeling well."

Sar turned to see her father and smiled a little.

Sari: "Hey there dad. Doing all right so far. I mean as much as I appreciate the Autobots protecting me, everything else is cool."

As she was watching the show, Sumdac then asked her daughter something else.

Professor Sumdac: "So what have you've been watching? I've been hearing Godfrey when I was heading here. I didn't think you were into the news."

The daughter rolled her eyes around and told him about that anchor.

Sari: "Actually, I was channel surfing until I got to him saying this garbage about the Autobots being untrustworthy. Didn't you hear what he said? He's saying that the Autobots should've been in Jasper to protect those people from behind mutilated. Please… They were following protocol and were scattered to hide from the Cons until they can regroup and strike back. You think they would want to return to Jasper just to get overrun? They had to come up with a counter attack and not charge in blind without no clue on what they're up against. That bastard has no clue what he's talking about."

The professor gave off a deep sigh as he was preparing his morning coffee, giving his own two cents.

Professor Sumdac: "I'm certain that Godfrey is concerned about Autobots protecting our planet Sari. In fact, everyone is worried about them and the Decepticons raging war on Earth. I hope Optimus's speech give them a reason to not fear them."

Sari then finished her breakfast and drank her OJ while he was walking. As she places them in the dishwasher, she approached a bowl full of scrap metal; screwdrivers, nails, and anything else made of metal and approached something.

Sari: "Um, yeah… I think it's a little too late on that one. I don't know if even Optimus's speech can cool some heads."

Walking to the corner, she comes across a little metal creature with tiny limbs and big blue eyes sleeping the morning away. That was actually Sparkplug; her new pet that is a scraplet, the vermin of Cybertron. She found it when she, the recruits, and the other teens were getting to Darkmount underground and got caught by a swarm of those little buggers. They managed to get out of there, but unfortunately; one of the scraplets caught up to them and was about to attack the recruits. Vince thought it would be a good idea to shoot it, but Sari decided to use her key to shut it down. She managed to insert the key into it and turned it, yet it didn't shut down. But for some strange reason, it made the critter obedient to her, like a loyal dog. Since then, she had kept Sparkplug as a precious pet and it helped them during the mission to rescue Optimus on a number of occasions. Placing the bowl of metal on the floor, she let it know that it's time to eat.

Sari: "Here you go Sparky, breakfast is served."

The scraplet squirmed and risen from its slumber, opening up its optics to look at its meal. Seeing that it was all metal, it opened its jaws to reveal the many sharp teeth as it made a drilling sound, ready to eat. Without hesitation, the creature jumped on its meal and ate away. Once the meal was empty, it whirled to a purr as Sari pet the scraplet on its head. As the girl was caressing Sparkplug, Professor Sumdac looked on and was feeling a little weary.

Professor Sumdac: "I still can't believe that you want to keep that thing in the house. Why'd I even accept that thing in the household is beyond me."

The daughter looked up to him and explained her reasons.

Sari: "You know why I can't leave the poor thing at the base. Those Autobots are terrified by it; even Bulkhead is a bit of a phobic on those things. I think leaving Sparkplug here seems like a safer place for it."

The professor looked to it and remembered the first time it stayed in the house.

Professor Sumdac: "I still don't think that it's wise to bring your new pet into the household. You forgot about what happened to the maidbot?"

Sari looked a little quiet and remembered about what happened to the maidbot on the first day. Getting a bit of a laugh, she explained about that.

Sari: "Yeah, sorry about that. Sparkplug is still new to the house and thought the maidbot was another meal. But it'll learn not to eat anything from the house except for the scraps I give it. You'll have my word."

The professor looked to his daughter and gave a deep sigh.

Professor Sumdac: "All right Sari, I'll let you keep it in the house so as long as that thing is under control. The last thing I want is to repair one of my bots that have teeth marks on them."

He started to sip his coffee and quickly changed the channel to a news broadcast that doesn't involve Godfrey. As he was watching the news, Sari looked to him and was a bit quiet about something. She'd been like that for a few days since the mission to rescue Optimus and didn't know how to approach this. So getting herself confident, she looked to her father and asked him the one question.

Sari: "Hey dad? I was wondering… I know you are coming back to your job after your long hiatus in the company and you need to get some loose ends together. But I was hoping if I could take the Autobots in the tour of one of the factories. If it's all right for you."

The father looks to her daughter with cautious eyes and was a little confused by that.

Professor Sumdac: "And why would you want to bring the Autobots into my factories?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders and told him her reasons.

Sari: "Well, I was thinking that after what the team had been through for the past couple of days, I thought it would be nice to give them a break. And a tour at how you work will be quite an relaxing experience for them, even if they barely survived a Predacon attack."

Sumdac starred her down and wondered if the others know of this.

Professor Sumdac: "Do that other Autobots know what you're planning?"

Sari's response is to shake her head and answered truthfully.

Sari: "No, I haven't. Thought I would surprise them when I visit after school. But I wanted to ask for your approval first before I come over."

Sumdac sighed and wondered if this would be a good idea.

Professor Sumdac: "Sari, I know that you have made some new friends with the Autobots. But I think that they shouldn't be going out in the public like that. I know that their existence have been revealed to the invasion, but they couldn't get out there in front of everyone."

Sari could tell that he doesn't like it at all. So she tries to smooth talk her way into this.

Sari: "Oh c'mon dad. The team had been through a lot. I think it would be nice for them to get their mind out of that traumatic experience. Besides, that factory has a no personnel within their assembly line and it's big enough for them to transform. They won't get into that much attention. So what do you say dad, think you can show them around? You can trust this face, can't you?"

The professor looked to her and noticed that she was pulling her ever-popular face. The same type of face that always gets her what she wanted. Issac tried to ignore her daughter, but that face certainly wins every time. Sighing in defeat, he decided to do what she wants.

Professor Sumdac: "All right, fine… You win. I'll let you bring the Autobots to the factory."

That got Sari's attention as she fist pumped in the air and was in total excitement.

Sari: "Yes!"

Yet he wanted this to be serious about it all and told her about it.

Professor Sumdac: "But I want you to make sure they don't cause too much trouble. The last thing I want is to have a group of Autobots bringing too much attention."

The daughter gave a small smile and understood the issue.

Sari: "No sweat dad. They will be in vehicle mode the whole trip until they enter the factory. They won't cause problems."

He nodded and was pleased with that promise.

Professor Sumdac: "That's good to hear. Now you better hurry up, you're going to be late for school."

Sari nodded and decided to get to school quickly. Petting her scraplet a little bit, she then approached her father and kissed him on the cheek.

Sari: "Bye daddy. See you tonight."

She then left the kitchen before telling Sparkplug that she'll be back.

Sari: "I'm going to school Sparky. Just be a good boy until I come back."

The scraplet whirled in delight as she closed the door and headed to the garage to get her moped. As soon as she left, the professor slumped a little and was weary about the whole Autobot visiting bit. Especially since he has to head to a board meeting today to discuss about what he missed during his leave. Sipping his coffee, he thought about it and didn't like any of it.

Professor Sumdac: "This is going to be a stressful few days… At least things couldn't get far worse from here on out.

What he didn't know was that something bad was going to happen, and it will be behind the scenes.

* * *

Somewhere, in an undisclosed location, a lone shadowed man in glasses looked up to the screens with many blank IDs with _'Audio Only'_ text underneath. In the middle of the screen, shows a video footage of what happened at the Morrison Dam covering what appears to the logo of the world with a huge gear rotating and the words _'MECH'_ on the front. Indeed it was MECH, a terrorist organization dedicated to conquering the world with advance technologies they build or take. During the time of observation, one of the people, which were the board members, looked to the aftermath and wasn't pleased.

MECH Board Member 1: _"Hmm… I must say Director; you've certainly caused some problems as of late. Not only did this Blackout failed to stop the Autobots, but also you blew up an operational dam that's connected to a few towns. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep that under wraps."_

This person, who is called the Director, looked to the board and explained about his actions in his southern voice.

Director: "What happened to Blackout was a strategic error. Firing the propeller at the team as it was deflected by that shield was his own mistake and not my own. However, this misjudgment proves that my new classes of soldiers are in need of improvement. As far as exploding the dam, it was a last resort as the Autobots managed to destroy the project. Fortunately, I was able to recover it and set it up at my new base to continue distributing our new robotic soldiers. That and the fact that I need to make sure that the Autobots can't escape."

The second board member then spoke up and continued that bit of news with his own bad news.

MECH Board Member 2: _"Indeed it was wise to blow that dam up to destroy the Autobots, yet they managed to escape and are still operational. As an example that their leader, Optimus Prime, delivered the news of their existence in front of national television."_

Director: "So I heard… But regardless, none of this shouldn't of happened if it hadn't been for the individual you hired to help with Project: Metamorphosis."

The first board member looked to him and knew what he was saying.

MECH Board Member 1: _"Yes, we know what you mean. The scientist that was assisting you in the previous project, Issac Sumdac. From what I heard in your earlier report is that he defected from your work when he assisted the Autobots in freeing the test subjects you brought in for Project: Metamorphosis. It would seem that he was no longer meant for our cause."_

The head scientist shrugged his shoulders and told him who's at fault around here.

Director: "Is that so? As I recall, it was you who brought him to me for his experience in robotic engineering. You shouldn't take the blame on me if it was your doing."

MECH Board Member 1: _"Are you saying this was my fault?"_

Director: "Who else am I blaming for his sabotage?"

Before the two could argue about it, one of board members stopped them.

MECH Board Member 2: _"Please, blame will not solve anything. Right now, we must focus on whatever future we have planned for MECH now that the world knew of the aliens existence. As for the professor, we should try to dispose of him as soon as we can. Since he knows of us, we must remove him before he could rat us out."_

The first member was a little hesitant and didn't want that to happen for some strange reason.

MECH Board Member 1: _"As much as I would want him taken care of, I don't think it's a wise idea. With the Autobots protecting him, it would be easy to eliminate him. Besides, he and I have a history together. If anything happens to him, then the authorities would be coming to me for some answers. Don't want them knowing the truth."_

The Director listened in and decided to make a simple request

Director: "Regardless of what happened to Sumdac, I still lack an accomplice with the expertise in the field. If maybe you can find me a replacement in future endeavors, then maybe I might be able to continue with my work."

Even though he doesn't have an actual live face, the first board member gave it a bit of a sigh.

MECH Board Member 1: _"As much as I want to help out, it won't be easy. There are plenty of professionals within this area and it's hard to find one that rises above the rest. Doesn't matter though. Right now, this is a minor setback within MECH and we will continue to push forward. And you, Director, this is your first strike. Two more of these and you will be exiled from this organization just like what happened Silas."_

He gave a simple nod, as he understood the orders from them.

Director: "But of course. I'll be sure that it won't happen again."

It was then that the board members decided to leave.

MECH Board Member 1: _"For your sake, it better not. We don't tolerate failure. Dismissed."_

The screens went blank as the room lightened a little bit. During the whole time, someone else was watching the discussion. He was in his mid fifties with gray hair in a thinning V shape, a lean, muscular build over his heavy-duty armor, and a mechanical brace on his left leg due to his injury. His name is Commander Rouke, The Director's right hand man. He approached him and wasn't pleased with how that went.

Commander Rourke: "Well, that went well."

The Director looked to him and told him that it was meant to be.

Director: "The board seems weary about me as of late. After the incident at the dam, they're starting to question my direction for the cause. Doesn't matter though, we can still bounce back. Project: Metamorphosis has already been secured and we will continue to make more robotic soldiers shortly. As for our latest project, what's the news on that?"

The Commander gave a heavy sigh and told him about the issue.

Commander Rourke: "It's a bit complicated. The metal support for Project: Noah is easy to find. We just need to find something strong enough to support the structure. As for the power to fuel the project, half of it requires energon and we do have enough to supply it given our excavation of the untapped mines the Autobots or Decepticons haven't located. But the rest of the fuel to power this project up seems to be impossible to find, giving how scarce or volatile they are. Perhaps if we can let the board know what we're working on, then maybe they can provide us with what we need."

The Director turned to him and turned away, feeling like it won't be a good idea.

Director: "We've been through this already commander. We cannot let the board know of this latest work is ready until the time is right. You've heard what they said. They weren't pleased with what happened at Morrison Dam. I'm lucky that they gave me another chance in that previous project. Until we can reveal the project to the board, we will leave them in the dark in what we're doing."

The commander nodded and was curious as to how they will succeed in that.

Commander Rourke: "So, how are we going to accomplish this? We need to get permission by the board to get the supplies needed."

The head scientist nodded and told him they won't.

Director: "Most of the supplies and equipment we already have. We'll make what's do. As for the rest, we should take what we need. The metal frames we can get with the steel mills. Just need to find the steel that can hold such a project of this magnitude. As for the other resources, I still have connections with outside radicals and terrorist organizations. They can provide us with the resources we need."

Commander Rourke: "And this replacement scientist you requested? You think they can pull through?"

The Director looked to him and believed that it will happen.

Director: "Due to the betrayal of Sumdac, I need a scientist that would be trustworthy of my work. I hoping one will fit the bill. Now come. Project: Noah cannot wait any longer."

The Director walked out of the room while Rourke followed. The two continued to walk down the hall until they entered the main command center, where soldiers are keeping watch and scientists working around the clock. Within the screens there were showing schematics of what appears to be the some metal tunnel. That metal tunnel is the MECH's version of the Autobots ground bridge technology. Project: Noah. The Director looked on at the second floor's catwalk and was pleased with the work.

Director: "Amazing that the Autobots would have such wondrous technology in their possession. A shame that they have to keep it for themselves. Extracting their knowledge of their planet and their technology was the wisest thing we've done. Now we can do all the inventions and weapons that could be of use to our cause."

The commander nodded, as he believed this new project would do the trick.

Commander Rourke: "As much as I want to try out some new Cybertronian weaponry, this project of yours will surpass all we have accomplished."

The Director looked intently at schematics and was in agreement.

Director: "Indeed, this will surpass everything we've all done."

* * *

**That handles the first chapter. A bit of a quick introduction to the story, nothing too much. But it will get better in the next couple. You might like it. Next chapter will have the return of the Autobots and the premier of Headmaster. Please Review.**


	2. Henry Masterson

**Well, I got to say; the response is strong in this story like the previous. Already thirteen reviews and over 700 hits? That's something I like to see. Too bad my other two stories aren't getting as much love as this one. Got one review on TFP Invasion and my Transformers Infinite crossover with FictionFan doesn't have any reviews. But it's cool. As I learn by experience, you need to keep pushing to get these stories out of the way. Happen in Teen Matrix 2 and that was a big time mess. So I'll keep on posting as many as I could. Time to go to chapter two of TFP Season/Episode 3. The Autobots are getting adjusted to their new dwellings as Sari insisted in inviting them to Sumdac System's factory. Meanwhile, a new employee who is obsessive with Sumdac, showed him his newest invention he'd been working on. But this obsession could lead to some serious dangers. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about.**

**Chapter Notes**

**Now this chapter will premier Masterson from the Animated series. I might have to use the obsession part via Enigma from Batman Forever, which is a good movie mind you, and I need to use the this type of character model to make him like an ultimate bad guy. I'm also going to bring in Porter C. Powell from the Animated series as well since I needed another character to help expand the Prime universe. Plus I'm leaving a bit of a surprise that would keep you guys guessing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Prime**

* * *

Chapter Two: Henry Masterson

Not far from Detroit, Michigan, everything is quiet within Lake Eerie as not a soul is in sight. But that's just on the outside. On the inside, it's a whole lot different. For underneath the very lake there's a base that has a group of huge alien robots known as Cybertronians, and a faction that fights for humanity, the Autobots. It has been weeks since their existence became known thanks to the Decepticons, a faction bent on conquering this world as with all others. Since then a lot has changed for the team. Jack, Raf, Miko, and June were taken by MECH and turned into Cybertronians themselves. And after the Autobots rescued them, they were being trained by them to become warriors themselves. Then there was the news that Optimus was alive but was held captive by Darkmount. After going through with many obstacles, the team managed to save their leader. Not only that, but during the huge bout with a Predacon, Jack became a Prime himself and destroyed the dragon himself. Now the team has two Primes in their ranks and that means that there is still hope for Earth. Within the main command center the Autobots are relaxing after what they've all been through. Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Kaosu, Firewall, and Rodimus Prime were talking about what they've all been through within Darkmount. But on the other end, Ratchet and Altra were with Optimus as he was recovering from his injuries. They have a two hand bars in between him as he was trying to walk.

Ratchet: "That's it Optimus. Take one step at a time. You're just about there."

The leader slowly took one step after another as he was holding the hand bars for support. Ever since being rescued, Optimus's legs were disabled due to his torturous injuries. Ratch managed to patch up his injuries, but he needed to recover a variety of ways. One of which was to walk normally. So far, he was able to walk bit by bit, and although his legs were a little shaky, it was still progress. But then, his legs started to buckle and wobbled until he got to his knees with his hands holding him up. Both the medic and nurse saw this and approached him to see if he was all right.

Ratchet: "Optimus, are you okay?"

The Prime looked to him and smiled a bit.

Optimus Prime: "I'm fine Ratchet. Thanks for your concern."

Ratch smiled and nodded in understanding. He then look to June and told her to help him.

Ratchet: "June, help me bring Optimus back to the wheelchair."

June looked to him and nodded in agreement.

June/Altra: "Right away Ratchet."

The two grabbed the leader by the shoulders and escorted him to the Cybertronian wheelchair that was close by. As they were taking him there, Ratchet was pleased with his progression.

Ratchet: "Well Optimus, it would seem that you have made an improvement with your recovery. You seem to have upgraded your steps from five to twelve in a matter of days and the way you stand is better then the last time."

Optimus turned to him and was pleased that he was happy.

Optimus Prime: "I haven't gone through with my recovery thanks to you."

The medic gave a bit of a chuckle and told him that he wasn't the sole person helping him out.

Ratchet: "Oh it wasn't me that got through with your recovery, Altra here was able to help out with anything she could."

The nurse smiled and would agree with him on that.

June/Altra: "It's true, I've seen my share of experience in patients that recover from broken legs. I know how to handle situations like this."

The two then placed Optimus on the wheelchair and sat him down. Once he was sitting, Optimus looked to Altra and was still a little surprised about something before turning to Ratchet and letting him know of this.

Optimus Prime: "Though I appreciate that you have an additional set of servos since you lost your arm, I'm quite surprised that Altra was once a human as with the others. Let alone that she was once Jack's mother."

Ratchet heard that and turned his head down after hearing that sort of news. Looking at the prosthetic limb he's temporarily using, he explained about that.

Ratchet: "Well, it helps to have someone who have medical experience in the field, but under all honesty, she didn't deserve to be a Cybertron, let alone the others."

He turned to the group of Autobots talking about their adventures and continued on.

Ratchet: "It's surprising really. About a few weeks ago, all four of them were just innocent humans caught in our war against the Decepticons. And then before you know it, they were turned into Cybertronians.

Optimus turned to the three new recruits and finished what the medic was saying.

Optimus Prime: "All because of MECH."

Ratch turned to him and nodded in agreement. During his recovery, Ratchet told Optimus about what happened when he was held captive by the Cons. Mainly it was about MECH's return to the fold and this new leader who calls himself, the Director. Then he discussed about the how their human friends were taken and turned into Cybertronians themselves using something called Project: Metamorphosis, where they turn humans into robotic soldiers. Upon hearing all that, Optimus was completely stern and felt a little sick to his fuel tank.

Optimus Prime: "I never really thought that MECH could go to far as to turning humans into our kind. It's worse to know that someone would insist in playing as Primus."

Ratchet nodded and knew that he didn't like it the moment he heard about it.

Ratchet: "I am in agreement with you Optimus. Silas's goal was to created us using know how of our biology. But this new threat, this Director, has taken this too far when he understands a Cybertronian from the body frame to the essence of one. It sickens me to the very core that he now has an army that's as dangerous as the Cons."

The Prime nodded and told him that this is as serious as they thought.

Optimus Prime: "It doesn't matter anymore. MECH is a potential threat, just like the Decepticons. And giving this Director and what ever he has planned, it could be dire to both us and this planet."

Ratchet gave a simple nod and knew that the Autobots would have their hands full. Meanwhile, the team was discussing about Darkmount and what they've all been through. Just then, Jack talked about his feud with Shockwave and everyone was shocked. Especially Arcee, who she took him out with a blaster to the eye.

Arcee: "Shockwave?! Are you certain? Thought he was long dead when I blinded him and left him for dead in that malfunctioned spacebridge."

The new Prime chuckled and told her that it wasn't true.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Oh he's alive all right. And by the beat down he gave me, he's sure as Hell is staying. That Con certainly gave me quite a workout, didn't even had the chance in taking him down."

He turned his head in shame as all that training was for nothing. Arcee could tell that he was upset about his encounter and place her servo to his shoulder, easing him from his mistakes.

Arcee: "There, there, you didn't expect that from happening. Shockwave is one tough competitor; no one wouldn't stand a chance against him. I mean, I'm quite surprised you would last that long against him. Normally, recruits wouldn't last five minutes against someone as professional as him. You did a great job out there, and that's all that matters."

To that end, the femme leaned forward and kissed the former teen on the lips very softly. Jack looked him down with gleaming eyes and has a warm smile to him after getting a quick kiss from his new girlfriend, or sparkmate in Cybertronian terms. Miko looked to it and was starting to get a little comfortable.

Miko/Kaosu: "Sheesh… Get a room you two…"

Bulkhead chuckled and told the Wrecking cadet to ease off.

Bulkhead: "Give the two love birds a rest Miko. They deserved each other for some time. Who knows, maybe you would have yourself a mech too."

Kaosu looked to him and gave a deep glare.

Miko/Kaosu: "Watch it Bulk. Just because I'm a Wrecker doesn't mean I want to settle down and start a family."

Bulk nodded, understanding that she's a full-blown Wrecker through and through. But looking to the others, he decided to get back at the situation.

Bulkhead: "Still, if what Jack said is true and that Shockwave is alive, then we have a serious problem in our servos. Shockwave is the most loyalist of subject in Megatron's royal circle, and the most dangerous Con out there. The weapons he created wiped out half the population on Cybertron and he won't stop until his sick mind ran out of ways in killing us."

Bumblebee listened in and realized something about that huge fight in that Decepticon fortress.

Bumblebee: _**(You're right Bulkhead. Shockwave is ruthless to the core when it comes to his creations. In fact, that Predacon we've faced in Darkmount, we all thought that they were extinct. Yet we saw one, alive and extremely dangerous. And I have one guess as to how it came to be.)**_

Bulk then turned to him and was surprised at what he meant by that.

Bulkhead: "You mean to tell me that Shockwave created that thing? Oh boy… And I thought this scientist was crazy enough. Now he's reanimating fossils. This day couldn't get any worse then that."

Arcee looked to the others and told them that it won't happen again.

Arcee: "Well let's hope he doesn't make anymore again. Shockwave's a clever Con; it's going to be a matter of time before he can strike with whatever else he has up his sleeve. Too bad Cliff isn't with us anymore. He'd always wanted that rematch."

Just as she said that, another voice came from the distance, one that is familiar with the team.

Smokescreen: "Well whatever Shockwave has for us, we Autobots would rise above it."

Everyone turned to the direction of the voice and saw Smokescreen leaving the hallway going straight to the garage. But as they saw him, something was completely different about him. It would seem the color of his armor has changed completely. Instead of the usual silver paint job with flaming 38's on the doors, his color was blue and yellow, mostly yellow on the doors/winglets and hood/chest area, and number sevens on the doors. The group looked on in shock as Firewall asked about it.

Raf/Firewall: "Uh, Smoke? Why do you look like that?"

Smoke looks to himself and could tell they notice his new look, explaining it to them.

Smokescreen: "What? This look? I thought I have Wheeljack give me a new paint job to help me blend in a little better. So, what do you guys think? Can I fit in or can I fit in?"

He turned around to show the others his new color scheme. The group had a bit of dead silence until Arcee spoke up awkwardly.

Arcee: "Wow, Smokescreen… That looks quite nice on you. You went from a silver racecar with flaming 38s to a blue and yellow racecar with lucky number sevens. That's a big improvement. I'm certain that the Cons won't notice you at all."

Smoke looks to the two-wheeler and could tell that she was mocking him. So he told them that they needed a little change.

Smokescreen: "Oh c'mon guys. This is a new era for all of us. New base, new friends, new enemies, even a new Prime in our team. We got to have a new look to make us more intimidating against the Cons. I think this would fit perfectly with our new life. I'm certain all of you are thinking of changing your colors on your armor."

The three Autobots, Bulk, Bee, and Cee, looked to each other and back to the Elite Guard member, deciding to pass on that.

Bulkhead: "Thanks for the offer Smoke, but I think we'll stick with what we have."

Bumblebee: _**(Yeah. As much as I want to switch up colors, black is not my thing.)**_

Arcee: "And although I love pink, I don't want to make myself too girly."

Smokescreen chuckled for a bit, knowing that they were getting a little hesitant over that.

Smokescreen: "Sure, laugh it up all you want. But it will be a matter of time before you're begging for a new paint job."

The recruits looked to this talk and couldn't help but to laugh it up on this moment. Never thought that the image of their friends in new color armor could be hilarious. But they'll stick with what they are and not change a thing. As that was going on, Raf looked to Jack and asked about something.

Raf/Firewall: "Speaking of a new life, how are as the new Prime? Still adjusting?"

Rodimus look down to his friend and explained about it.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Hard to tell I guess. I haven't felt any different ever since I woke up from the energy drain in the battle against the Predacon. But Optimus told me that it was normal for a newly fresh Prime beginning a journey. But once he is fully recovered, he would begin my training and see how much potential I have."

Raf/Firewall: "And what about Vince? How's he adjusting to all of this, giving that he was once our bully."

The new Prime remained silent about it all, until he spoke up.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Well, it seems pretty fair. He's adjusting to staying with his grandparents and got himself a part time job at a body works shop in the downtown area of Detroit. He's even going to the same high school you two are attending. So I do believe that he getting use to this new fresher life. I actually think that he has turned over a new leaf. Well, he's still a bully, but it's a start."

Miko then butted in and asked about that.

Miko/Kaosu: "Now hold up! I want to file a complaint! Why do we have to go to school too? We're officially Autobots for crying out loud! We don't really need to go to school! Not only that, but we have to go to school with our holo forms? Our human holo forms, while we park at the alley and wait all day? This is a little too far, don't you think?"

The hacker turned to the Japanese femme and explained why they were going to school in the first place.

Raf/Firewall: "Miko, we have families in Detroit too you know. They have no clue what really happened to us. To them, they thought we were still under protective custody during this whole mess."

Jack looked at her and told her that his friend is right.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Raf does have a point Miko. If your family and host parents find out about what happened to you, they would demand answers from Fowler. Not to mention that revealing your true identity to them could mean that the Cons would make them potential targets. That's why Fowler asked you to stay in school for the day and remain close to the house at night. You're lucky that Wheeljack and Ratchet installed those upgraded holoforms for your human images to project and touch, otherwise you guys would be too suspicious."

Kaosu rolled his eyes around and complain about his reasons to stay.

Miko/Kaosu: "And what about you? You don't have to go to school or live in a house while we get through that torture."

Rodimus smirked and told her his reasons.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Because my mom and I are Cybertronians now, so we can't live in a house. Plus now that I'm a Prime, I won't be able to balance school and my destiny."

The cadet rolled her optics around and was being sarcastic.

Miko/Kaosu: "Right… Because now that you're a Prime you don't have to worry about schoolwork. You now have to worry about trying not to get killed by Megatron."

The Autobot recruit looked at her strangely and started to laugh it off.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Ha, ha… Very funny… You go ahead to tell Megatron that joke when you meet him. I'm sure he'll be happy to oblige."

The Wrecking cadet looked to him and gave him a very deep glare. Just then, a green light lit up the entire area as the alarms kept buzzing. The others looked to the console and wondered what's causing it. Ratchet approached the console and checked to see who's coming.

Ratchet: "Proximity alarm. Someone is approaching our base."

He opened the map of Lake Eerie and scanned for any intruders approaching their base. He then spotted a small beep heading straight to the boathouse/entrance. Going to a close up, he switch to a live satellite feed to see the person heading to them. What they all saw was a yellow moped, driven by a certain someone. Miko could tell who it is by the yellow two-wheeler and called her out.

Miko/Kaosu: "That's Sari!"

Arcee put her hands to her hips and looked to her with a sarcastic look.

Arcee: "Again? I swear, she spends more time in this base then Sam or Vince."

The Japanese femme chuckled and told her the reason why.

Miko: "Oh come on Cee, you know she wants to hang out with someone as cool as me."

Bee then chimed in and said something she left out.

Bumblebee: (And as troublesome as you.)

Bulk laughed it up and gave the scout a high five.

Bulkhead: "Ha, ha! Good one Bee! Way to show it to her!"

Kaosu turned to them and reminded them of something.

Miko/Kaosu: "Um… You guys do realize that I can now understand Bumblebee, do you?"

The two turned to her and looked at each other, forgetting about that and nervously felt awkward. As that was going on, the sound of a moped engine came through the entrance as they all turned to see her coming down. Once she turned and parked her bike at someplace safe, Sari got off of it and took her helmet off, looking at the group with a lovely grin.

Sari: "Hey there guys! What's up?"

She then walked up to the group as she headed to Miko's side. The Wrecking cadet bent down to her level and the two gave each other a fist bump.

Miko/Kaosu: "Sari! What's happening?"

She then got herself back up as the young Sumdac told her about it.

Sari: "Oh the usual. School, home, hanging out with your guys. Nothing out of the ordinary. Well, except you guys, you all aren't ordinary to the naked eye."

She then turned to Smokescreen as noticed the new paint job he was sporting.

Sari: "Hey there Smoke. Love the new look. Really suits you."

The Elite Guard member smirked and like what he heard from her.

Smokescreen: "Thanks Sari, that's really appreciated."

He then turned to Cee and bragged about that.

Smokescreen: "See? Sari likes my look."

The two-wheeler peered her optics to him and retorted back.

Arcee: "Statistically, a girl that has her own taste, someone has to."

Smoke look to her with an icy stare and thought she was making fun of him. Meanwhile, the new Prime approached her and wondered why she was here to begin with.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "It's good to see you too Sari. Always like to have you at our base. So you're here to play games with Miko, or rock out on some tunes, or trying to not get yourself killed in the process?"

Sari turned to Jack and chuckled to herself, explaining why she's really here.

Sari: "No, nothing like that. I'm here for an important announcement."

Now it got everyone's attention as they all approached her with Altra pushing Optimus's wheelchair to them. Arcee then wondered what this announcement is.

Arcee: "An announcement? What kind of announcement?"

Sar turned to her and told her straight away.

Sari: "It's a really good announcement. You see, I was talking to dad today and asked for a simple favor. I can tell that you guys needed a serious break after what you two have been through last week and deserved a special treat. So giving my dad's approval, I decided to take you guys to one of the Sumdac System's facilities! Isn't that awesome?"

Everyone remained silent about this and didn't respond in any way. But then Ratchet broke the silence and responded in a voice that was that of anger.

Ratchet: "Are you out of your mind?! You expect us to go to some factory of some kind, out in the public eye?! That's mass suicide!"

It wasn't the response she wanted and Sari protested about it.

Sari: "What?! Oh come on guys! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You can't ditch me like that!"

That's when Arcee joined in and agreed with the medic.

Arcee: "I agree with Rachet here Sari. It would seem that everyone is on edge with what happened to Jasper. And with the public paranoid about us, I don't think we should stir the pot a little more. Plus with the Cons still out there looking for us and Optimus still recovering from his injuries, we can't get out there and cause more trouble."

Sari was shocked to know that they didn't want to do this. She hung her head down in shame and gave a deep sigh.

Sari: "Aw man… And I went through such great lengths to get dad to agree with me. Oh well… Guess you guys aren't interested in looking at all the cool stuff in my dad's factory. Not that it matters anymore since you are all too busy saving the world and all."

She then started to walk away, trying to play coy. As she was walking away, the group looked at each other and some of them were having some second thoughts about it all. They then turned to Ratchet to see if he can reconsider it. The medic looked to them and could tell that they wanted him to re think his decision.

Ratchet: "What? What are you all looking at me for? You know I'm right. We can't go out into the public view no matter what. Even if Optimus revealed the truth in front of everyone, we still cannot come out with the Cons still on the hunt."

Miko then thought of an idea and decided to let him know of something.

Miko/Kaosu: "I don't know Ratch. With what we've been through for a while, it's nice to kickback and relax from all of it. Besides, we're going to see Sari's father's working environment."

Raf perked up and realized she's right.

Raf/Firewall: "I could agree with Miko. Sumdac Systems is a big time corporation and works on robotics. Something like that could really be interesting to see."

Bumblebee rubbed his chin and thought of what his friend had said.

Bumblebee: _**(Hmm… A place where they make robots. That would be something.)**_

Bulk then joined in and thought about that too.

Bulkhead: "Tell me about it. It would be interesting to see how the humans handle creating robots."

Jack then agreed with the others and finished with what they were contemplating.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "And that factory they have set up is big enough to fit us all in. Not to mention that we'll be in vehicle form on the way there. No one won't even suspect a thing."

Ratchet looked to all of them and still felt a little weary about it all.

Ratchet: "Even if you were all to go, there are still risks regarding our safety. Detroit is a bustling city unlike Jasper. The whole place could be packed from the traffic jams to the annoying residents walking down the street. You could hurt yourself or someone else, and giving the population, if the Cons find you, there will be more lives at risk. I can't condole for that."

Just as he was still in disagreement, Optimus decided to deliver his own two cents.

Optimus Prime: "I disagree with you Ratchet. The Autobots have been through a lot the past few solar cycles. Perhaps the team would deserve what humans would call a little R and R after the accomplishments they have done."

Ratch turned to the leader and couldn't believe what he heard.

Ratchet: "Optimus, you can't be serious. You expect the team to take a break after everything they've been through. What with MECH, the Decepticons, the Predacon. And now you want them to go on a vacation when we all know we should stay hidden from any threat that's against us?!"

Optimus could tell that his friend is a little aggravated about all of this, so he eased him into his side of the story.

Optimus Prime: "I know the team had gone through a lot recently. But after all of that, perhaps they deserve to rest up until the trouble arises again. And since the human race knows of our existence, then perhaps the Autobots should know more about their culture so that they can adapt to Earth."

Ratchet starred him down and realizes that he does have a point. Now that the human race know of their existence, the Autobots need to understand the history of the planet to get a broader understanding in what they're now fighting for. Giving a deep sigh, he decided to give up on this.

Ratchet: "Scrap. I hate it when you are right."

He turned to the other and gave a simple nod. Knowing what that means, everyone got smiles on their faces as Jack turned to Sari, stopping her from leaving.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Wait, Sari."

The girl stopped dead in her tracks just a few feet away from her moped. Knowing that she got them on the hook, she turned to them and waited for the right answer.

Sari: "Yes?"

The new Prime looked on and told her straight away.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "We've talked it over for a little and made a decision. We'll head down to your dad's factory for the grand tour."

The girl's smile grew a little wider and pumped her fist down in excitement before turning to them about the plan.

Sari: "Sweet! I'll contact my dad and see if we can come tomorrow on Saturday. Clear up any schedule you have, cause this is going to be super cool."

The group looked to each other and gave themselves pats on the backs and whatnot, while Sari got on the moped and headed back home. As she was leaving, Arcee approached her boyfriend and told him something.

Arcee: "You do realize that Sari was playing us so we can go in the first place, right?"

Rodimus nodded and responded.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "In a way, yes. You know Sari; she doesn't rest until she gets what she wanted. After all, we can trust that face."

Cee remained silent and thought about this little field trip that's being planned for tomorrow.

Arcee: "This is going to be an issue, is it? I little vacation like this wouldn't last long. I should know, Cybertron never had soldiers on break and even if there's one, wouldn't last long."

Jack turned to her and gave her a pleasant smile.

Jack/Rodimus: "Well you're not on Cybertron, you're on Earth. Don't worry; it's just a little tour of a factory. What can possibly go wrong?"

He walked away to talk to the others as Cee looked on, still concerned as to what happened on this little trip. She knows that even a little recon never ends well.

* * *

Meanwhile, the sun to slowly lowering within the city of Detroit as the town was busy. Deep within the town's marketing and manufacturing district, a huge triangular building that's just about the same size of the GM building, if not bigger, with an S logo on the pointed top. That building is known as the Sumdac Systems, a corporate building that handles the business side of the robotics while the manufacturing part is down at the docks. At the top floor, a board meeting was taking place with a ten board members composed of investors and stock markets experts. On one side of the table, Issac Sumdac was sitting there filled with paperwork, looking to the work they've been doing during his absence. On the other side, there was another man in his forties with gray hair and lighter gray on the sides and a spiky point on the top of his head, not to mention a gray mustache that goes down to his chin. He had on a fancy white suit with red on a couple of places (pockets, shoulders, neckline, cufflinks, and belt), a pink button shirt underneath, a red tie, a pair of red gator shoes, and a pair of pink sunglasses over his eyes. His name is Porter C. Powell, and he takes care of the financial side of the business while Sumdac handles the robotics side. He started to explain about the work they've accomplished.

Porter C. Powell: "As you can see professor, we've had quiet a busy time here in Sumdac Systems while you were on leave. The stocks were stable and our finances are strong. Though we did have a few dips on a couple of occasions, we managed to bounce back. As far as our products, everything has been in working order. Products such as the trash collecting units, robo guard dogs, and window cleaning bots have been purchased strongly. Not to mention that we were able to nearly complete the police drones and soon they will be in mass production. Course we'll start in Detroit since the crime rate here is high at night. But once it will be successful, we'll spread it to the country in a matter of months and next year we might use them across the globe."

Sumdac looked to the papers and was pleased at the success they've accomplished while he was away. But placing the files down, he talked about the police drones.

Professor Sumdac: "All of this seems very promising Powell, but I think we should keep the police drones on hold until we can get the bugs fixed. I've read in a report that the drones were having issues depending who is friend or foe by their scanners, which of course lead to the a couple of mechanics in the hospital for blaster and tazer wounds."

Porter laughed a little and explained about that.

Porter C. Powell: "Yes, well that was on the first test when we were starting. There were a few minor issues at the mechanics and maintenance personal had a few injuries. Nothing too fatal. We've even managed to work the kinks out of the drones and they seem to have tested flawlessly, with a bit of trial and error of course. Now we are ready to distribute them to the DPD and put them out in the field."

But the professor looked to him and told him to not do it.

Professor Sumdac: "Not until I see if they were ready for mass distribution. Until then, they will be put on hold. Understand?"

Powell nodded and understand what he meant by that. The rules are that before a new product is released to the public, Sumdac needs to be present to see it work first hand before he gives the okay. Otherwise, any product needs to be put on hold in the event of faulty equipment or minor malfunctions. So nodding, he decided to follow his advice.

Porter C. Powell: "But of course Sumdac. I'll be sure I set something up on Saturday to see our latest product through and through. There is however one more thing we have to discuss. It's of grave importance."

He looked up to him and then looked down to all the reports, saying only two words.

Professor Sumdac: "Go on."

Porter C. Powell: "You know the policy of Sumdac Systems correct?"

The professor nodded and looking to the papers.

Professor Sumdac: "Of course I know. The Sumdac Policy clearly states that no robotics or any mechanoid creation can't be used for war, only for peaceful applications. I was the one that set up that policy. Why you ask that?"

Powell remained completely silent, not knowing if he's going to like it or not. Mustering up the courage he has, he told him straight away.

Porter C. Powell: "Well professor, after the recent incidents weeks ago, the board is having second thoughts on this policy and would wish to revoke it in order to build military bots for the government. I for one think that it was a good idea myself since this could help bring in more money to the company. All we need is your approval to reject this policy you put in motion."

Sumdac looked up to him and was suddenly silent about it all, but was shocked on the inside. The fact that he want to remove a policy he kept in check for many years just so the company could build these war bots and sickening to him. Sitting straight up, he told him his opinion.

Professor Sumdac: "So that's what this meeting is all about? You want me to get rid of a policy that I've set up since the beginnings of this company just to turn this peaceful corporation into a militant operation? I can't do that."

Powell looked on in disturbing silent and didn't think he would respond to that. So he tries to ease him into it.

Porter C. Powell: "Mr. Sumdac, I know that you like your company to be kept away from the military. But due to this invasion that occurred in Nevada, things have changed. Now with these alien robots and this worry in the public, we need to make some risky decisions. There's no way around this professor. We have to drop this policy, for the safety of this planet."

Sumdac remained quiet as he let the information sink in. He knew the risk, yet he doesn't want to do this. Besides, these alien robots, the Autobots, are good friends of his daughter. He would never let that happen since the team is protecting her and the planet. So looking at them all, he told him that he still wouldn't do it.

Professor Sumdac: "Gentlemen, I understand your concern of these alien invaders and the trouble that's been going on weeks ago. But we cannot abandon this policy due to fear. Sure these Decepticons are taking this planet hostage and will attack us at any moment, but as long as these Autobots are protecting it, then we are perfectly safe. So as far as your concerns go, I am not going to scrap my policy at the slightest. This company will stay peaceful as I see fit. That is final. This meeting is adjourned."

He then got up and left the board meeting as the members looked on in total disbelief. Powell though was as bit quiet about it and could tell the Sumdac is still not pulling through. He knew him for a long time and never in his life that he was disagree with what he said. Thinking this is bad, he decided to confront him. Getting off his seat, he rushed to the door and followed the professor. At the same time, Sumdac approached the waiting elevator and hit the button the take him down. But just as the doors were about to close, Powell approached him and told him to wait.

Porter C. Powell: "Professor wait! Hold the door for me for a moment!"

He managed to get through the doors as the elevator was closed. As the lift made its decent, Porter took a breather as the professor asked his unexpected arrival.

Professor Sumdac: "What is it you want Mr. Powell?"

After taking a quick breather, Powell explained why he's here.

Porter C. Powell: "Just to have a little talk professor, that is all."

Sumdac looked to him and could tell why's he's here.

Professor Sumdac: "If this is still about that policy, then I'm still not going to allow it. I cannot believe that you would accept the board's decision on removing my policy. I thought you'd agree that this policy was going to be well protected. How could you do this to me?!"

Porter sighed to himself and could tell that his friend wasn't happy about this decision. Trying to ease the tension, he explains about his reasons.

Porter C. Powell: "I know your upset about my decision with the board. But I have no choice in the matter. You and I both know that this policy is meant to keep this company away from any war out there. But let's face it, things have now changed. With the destruction of Jasper and this alien invasion, the world is desperate. This includes Sumdac System since the Pentagon want weapons that can tip the scale to our favor. That's why the board needs this policy removed from the company, so we can start creating war bots for profit. These are trying times for all of us. We need to do all we could to protect this country, if not the entire world."

Sumdac looked to him and didn't know what to do. True this is all trying times for everyone now, but he still can't do what's best for business. He then told him about his decision further.

Professor Sumdac: "Porter, you and I have known each other since Harvard and we've always looked out for each other. We know this business is important to keep Detroit's economy in balance since the automotives industry kept on struggling. But this is far beyond anything we've promised each other. Now granted you were able to take over the business while I took leave and I respect what you've done in my absence. But anything that would cause the issues with the company should be addressed to me before making any decisions."

Powell nodded and knew the risk Sumdac almost took, apologizing in the process.

Porter C. Powell: "Forgive my rash actions Issac, it's just that I never knew you care for this company so much since you started it. I can understand that the policy you've put into place keeps the company in balance and needs to remain so. I'm only trying to do what's right for the board. I am part of the financial side of Sumdac Systems. I need to be sure that the money keeps flowing for our stock holders and investors."

Professor Sumdac: "That might be true. But you need understand that Sumdac Systems has a reputation to uphold. Breaking policy rules and creating military grade bots will deliver the wrong impression and tarnish that said reputation. So whether you like it or not, I'm still keeping the policy of no bots for war. Understand?"

Porter nodded by what Sumdac has said.

Porter C. Powell: "But of course professor, I understand clearly."

The two remain quiet as the professor's phone started to buzz. Sumdac digged into his pocket to see his cell phone and noticed that it had a message. It read…

_'Hey dad,_

_Talked to my friends and they said they'll head down to the factory for the grand tour. We'll be there on Saturday. Catch you on the flip side!_

_Sari'_

Sumdac watched the message and smiled to himself. Powell looks to the message too and could tell who it's from.

Porter C. Powell: "Another message from your girl? You certainly have one spoiled girl on your hands."

Sumdac look to him and smiled.

Professor Sumdac: "I don't spoil her Porter, she usually spoils herself. As for the message, she wanted to show her new friends around the factory. Giving that they were new in town they need to know about my work. She said that she's going to show them around tomorrow, so there's nothing to worry about."

The elevator stopped at the laboratory wing of the building as the doors opened. Sumdac walked out of the lift as Powell heard that and smiled.

Porter C. Powell: "That's nice to hear."

But then his face changed to shock and worry as he rushed out of the elevator, stopping the professor.

Porter C. Powell: "Uh, professor? Wait up for a moment."

The two then walked into the hall where multiple scientists were inside the various labs working on anything robotic. Powell managed to catch up to the professor and told him about that day.

Porter C. Powell: "Haven't you already forgotten that why have a date set up to show you the police drones?"

Sumdac listened to that and realized that he had completely forgotten about that.

Professor Sumdac: "Oh no… I forgot!"

He thought this through and decided on an interesting option.

Professor Sumdac: "I got it. Why don't I show Sari's friends on what we're working on? I'm certain they'll be interested in it."

* * *

Meanwhile, in one of the labs, a lone scientist was busy at work, but his work office is nothing compared to the others. His office was a complete mess with parts scattered about and multiple plans on the work desk. All across the walls and see through window were multiple magazines and newspaper slips showing Issac Sumdac and all the work he accomplished. The one scientist is very different from the others as well. He was in his twenties, probably twenty-two at most, with purple hair that has a bang covering his right eye and wearing some kind of red and black jumpsuit with a turtle neck up to his neck and an metal H emblem on the center, right over his white trench coat. His name is Henry Masterson and he's a new employee of Sumdac Systems months ago. As he was working on his personal project, he could hear voice coming from the window.

Porter C. Powell: "Are you sure its wise? Bringing a bunch of strangers to factory? With what's been going on in the recent weeks, I can't be sure to bring in tourist to a restricted area without any idea on who they are of if they're a potential threat."

Professor Sumdac: "Do not worry Mr. Powell, these people Sari found are professionals when it comes to robotics. Years of experiencing per say. They know what they're doing."

Masterson heard that and turned to know about that voice. Hurrying to the window, he lifted a few of the cutouts and saw the one person he'd wish to see. It was Professor Sumdac, talking to Powell about something important. But seeing the professor, he was getting nervous and didn't know what to do.

Henry Masterson: "Oh shit! He's here!"

Recovering the clips, he gave a deep breather and tried to motivate himself.

Henry Masterson: "Okay Masterson, calm down. You can do this. Remember, you're a winner. You're a winner."

He then approached the desk to look at a Professor Sumdac bobble head and said it in a different way.

Henry Masterson: "I'm a winner."

He tapped the head and made it wobble as he approached the door the meet up with Sumdac.

* * *

Back outside the both Sumdac and Powell were walking together as the professor asked for a quick favor.

Professor Sumdac: "Just promise me one thing Porter. I want you to not to freak out or jump to any conclusions. These individuals are new comers and they aren't familiar with our customs. I also want to be a private showing, no employees, maintenance personal, or scientists within the testing chamber. This is going to be a private affair, nothing more."

Powell turned to him and was a bit confused.

Porter C. Powell: "Should you at least think that we might need a little help incase the Police drones short circuit again. You may never know if there's an accident in the system."

The two of them didn't know that they were walking past Masterson's lab as the young scientist walked out to greet them, only to be ignored.

Professor Sumdac: "Trust me, they know what they're doing. They have experience in the field and know how to defend themselves. Just don't tell anyone about them."

Powell gave a deep sigh and followed the professor advice. None of them didn't know that Masterson was following them like that of a stalker.

Porter C. Powell: "All right, fine. I'll have everything set for your daughter's friends on Saturday. But you owe me, big time."

The professor nodded and thanked him for that.

Professor Sumdac: "Thank you Powell. I promise, you won't regret it."

Just as they were about to leave, Masterson decided to intervene and rushed to the front of them, blocking their path and offered a handshake. The two stopped dead with their tracks and looked to the strange person that blocked their way.

Henry Masterson: "Issac Sumdac. Oh, this is so boss! It's an honor to finally meet you."

The two stared at the young scientist and turned to each other with different expression. To Sumdac, he was confused as to who he is, but to Powell, he face palmed himself and knew this person. The professor though looked to him with a smile and shook his hand.

Professor Sumdac: "Um… Yes, it's pleased to meet my own employees. And you are?"

Henry smiled and introduced himself.

Henry Masterson: "Henry Masterson. You hired me. Well, I got the letter of acceptance in the mail. I have it hung on my wall of my apartment. You were never around since I took the job months back. But now that you're here, I've finally got a chance to meet up with you face to face. It's so rad to meet you in person."

Sumdac looked to the young man and began to wonder where that name came from. That's when his eyes blinked and soon realized something.

Professor Sumdac: "Masterson, I remember now. You are the child genius I heard so much about. That you had an interest at how robots work. Taking them apart and putting back together. You got quite an eye for my work."

Henry Masterson: "Oh but it's more then that Mr. Sumdac sir. I actually idolize you."

Powell overheard that and grunted to himself.

Porter C. Powell: "In an obsessive way…"

Masterson turned to him and gave a deep glare, but turned back and continued to worship the professor.

Henry Masterson: "I've always have an interest in your work professor. You're specialty in robotics have inspired me to following in your footsteps. All the robotics schools I've studied had accumulated in this. Course I had to skip the universities since those places are for noobs. My intellect helps me create many innovations for your company. Though I haven't been able to let them pass through paper, they show a lot of promise."

Powell then decided that he had enough and turned to him and explained his reasons.

Porter C. Powell: "Now Masterson, we've been through all of this before. The reason why the board and I wouldn't let you pass on a couple of your projects is that you're a complete mad man. The fact these projects you've created sounds absolute ridiculous! You're lucky we were able to pass one project that seemed promising. But we damn well can't seek approval for mass production of your work."

Sumdac though turned to him and told him that he got it.

Professor Sumdac: "Now Powell, let me handle this. He is one of my employees and I'll do what I see fit."

He then turned to Masterson and smiled to him.

Professor Sumdac: "As for you Masterson. It's nice that I have scientists of your caliber in my industry. I'm hoping that you will have a great future here at Sumdac Systems."

The young scientist had an even wider smile and couldn't believe what he heard. The fact that the professor gave a compliment, made him feel good about himself.

Henry Masterson: "Oh thank you, thank you Mr. Sumdac! I promise, I will never fail you!"

There was a bit of silence between the two as Sumdac looked down and asked for something.

Professor Sumdac: "Um, Mr. Masterson? Can you please let go of my hand?"

Henry looked down and realized that he was still shaking his hand. Quickly letting go, he laughed out of embarrassment and apologized.

Henry Masterson: "I'm so sorry about that. Guess I was a little carried away."

Sumdac nodded and understand his nervousness.

Professor Sumdac: "None taken. Now Powell here said that you have a specific project you've been working on?"

Masterson nodded and talked about that.

Henry Masterson: "Yes, of course. My work! I've been working on it for sometime now. I've already got it all set and I would like to show it to you. It totally kicks. Give me a sec."

He quickly rushes into his lab and started looking for something. As he was searching, Powell approached the professor and explained about him.

Porter C. Powell: "Forgive me for this professor Sumdac. But Masterson is sort of more loon then a genius. The young lad's projects were a bit extreme in our case. Even his latest project that the board green light lead to some serious issues. You got to understand that his project could lead to some costs."

The professor looks to him and told him that it will be all right.

Professor Sumdac: "Please Powell, let me see this for myself before you can jump to any conclusion. I'm certain whatever work he got isn't as bad as you think it is."

Just as soon as he said that, he heard Masterson's voice from the distance.

Henry Masterson: "I found it!"

He then rushed out of the room with two objects in his hands. The first one is a model of a robotic head that had a little bit of a splitting image. In his other hand is the blueprint for something. The professor looked to both of the objects and wondered what he was working on. The young scientist then approached him and explained about what he was cooking up.

Henry Masterson: "I present to you, the Headmaster unit."

He held his hand out and showed the professor the model he was working on. Starring at it, Sumdac could tell that it was a robotic red head with horns sticking out, purple like circuitry, and the smug face of Masterson himself. The professor look to this project and was a bit intrigued.

Professor Sumdac: "Huh… That is quite interesting. But where is the body?"

Masterson gave off a bit of a laugh and answered him truthfully.

Henry Masterson: "That's the beauty of it. It doesn't need a body!"

Sumdac raised an eyebrow and wondered what he meant by that.

Professor Sumdac: "It does not?"

Masterson shook his head and tossed the model in the air, forcing Powell to grab it before crashing into the ground.

Henry Masterson: "Nope! Allow me to show you."

He then opened up his blue prints and showed him what his Headmaster unit can do. Sumdac took a good look at the prints and could tell that it was done so childish, yet the steps are there. The young scientist pointed to the first one with the malfunction robot and presented it in deep detail.

Henry Masterson: "Now, say that your robot is malfunction under random occurrences. Whether it is of bad circuitry, processor damage, or a virus. Now as far as repairs go, it's obvious that the main problem relies in the head. Of course you have a repair team fix the issue up, but it will take time and money to get it going. Well, that's where my beauty comes in. My Headmaster Unit can remove the original head and replaces it immediately. And with a pilot inside, controls the bots body anyway he or she fits. This is the part that totally rocks! First it starts cutting around the original's bot head and tear it clean off without damaging the body and the insides completely. Once the head removal is successful, the Unit attaches itself into the bot's body, connecting with all the circuits and gizmos the original head uses. Upon attachment, the pilot has total control of the body and would control it, no matter what type of bot it is. And you can imagine what that will do after that. Total ownage!

Sumdac look to the prints and saw the steps first hand. The second step shows the Headmaster Unit. Third is the removal. Forth is the attachment. And the last was the Headmaster Unit in the new body giving out the devil horns with the caption, _'Total Ownage Noob!'_ Powell approached the two and told Sumdac about that new work.

Porter C. Powell: "And that's what I'm trying to tell you Sumdac. Masterson's little work is beyond the deep end. His Headmaster Unit shows some serious doubts on the safety of Sumdac Systems, let alone the safety of the public. Even piloting something like that is extremely complex. Unless of course you play a lot of video games, which Masterson does most of the time."

Henry turned to him and gave a deep glare.

Henry Masterson: "Oh shut it you suit! You don't know anything about robotics! All you care about is the Benjamin's and that's it!"

He then turned back to Issac and wanted to make an interesting deal.

Henry Masterson: "But you Sumdac, you understand right? You and I are cut from the same cloth. We understand how robotics work and will do anything to get this project in the air. All I ask of you is to accept this project, provide me with money to continue my work, and a professional pilot to show what this beauty can do. I already got a prototype set up and ready for you at the factory and would need to give you a demonstration on how it works. I promise you my Headmaster Unit will revolutionize Sumdac Systems into the future."

The professor looks to Masterson and was a little hesitant about his latest project. Sure it has some form of promise, but there were many obstacles in the way. So he talked to him about it.

Professor Sumdac: "Mr. Masterson, this project of yours does have some potential."

The young scientist heard this and was delighted that he agreed on his work.

Henry Masterson: "Thank you professor! I promise you that my work will totally be the bomb!"

But Sumdac stopped him there and discuss about the issues he was worried about.

Professor Sumdac: "However, I'm concerned about what this project can really do. Take for example its usefulness. Say if I approve to you making more of these Headmaster Units, what will they be used for?"

Henry looks to him oddly and didn't expect him throwing a curveball. But he kept calm and told him what he wants to use his units for.

Henry Masterson: "Well, it can take over the bodies of other robots, no matter the type they are. But I was kinda hoping that they could be used for military application. You know, so you can frag some serious noobs!"

Issac listened in and didn't like where this was going at the least. So he told him that it won't do.

Professor Sumdac: "Masterson, perhaps you don't know it yet but our policy clearly states that we don't make any war bots within our company. It's something we kept for years."

Masterson could tell that he isn't getting his attention.

Henry Masterson: "Oh come on! Don't ditch me like that. This project is the boss! Besides, you might think about reconsidering, what with these metal aliens and all. Maybe use my Units to take over their bodies and put the odds in our favor. Deliver some total ownage on those alien bastards!"

Sumdac gave a deep sigh and told him that that won't happen.

Professor Sumdac: "That might be true, but there are still consequences along the way. There are good alien robots fighting the bad. What would happen if one of your units accidentally grabbed of them instead of the enemy? And even if I approve these units, what's to happen if the outside individuals find out about it. Say a terrorist organization or a random radical group. What if any group would get their hands on your Headmaster Units and what they will do to them. Sometimes Masterson, a project of this magnitude raises too many questions."

To that end, he patted Masterson on the back and turned around to leave. Masterson though stood there in complete and utter shock, as he couldn't believe that Sumdac, his very own idol, rejected his project. Powell then went next to him and placed the Headmaster model in his open free hand, giving him a brief warning.

Porter C. Powell: "A word to the wise Masterson. Never get too cocky of your own work, for it might make or break your career entirely."

He then left his spot and followed the professor as they slowly walked away from him. Henry had his jaw opened and was speechless for the moment.

Henry Masterson: "You were suppose to understand my potential…"

But then shock turned into anger as he tightened his Headmaster model, crushing it and letting pieces of it fall to the floor. He was boiling over to the point that he will pull all the stops in getting Sumdac to accept his offer, no matter what it takes.

Henry Masterson: "I'll make you understand…"

* * *

**Oh shit! Sounds like someone is having an addiction of success. Anyways, that concludes the second chapter of Headmaster. A bit of a taste before the big action scene on the next chapter. And before anyone even asks, no I'm not going to change Bumblebee's armor color! I like him better when his color is yellow and black and not black and yellow. As I said before, the color could be used for a shattered universe Bee. Might think about that when I get around to it. Anyways, the next chapter will be about three things. The Autobots arriving in Detroit to get the tour of Sumdac's factory, Headmaster is on the attack, and Jack unleashing his Prime state. I'll let you picture what the full story will be about. Please Review.**


	3. Sumdac Systems

**So I was on Youtube and I looked into a trailer for the new Transformers Series Hasbro has put together. They called it Robots in Disguise, for those of you that haven't gotten into current events, and it seems to be a show that would take place after Prime. As far as the rest is concerned, it involves a new team of Autobots led by Bumblebee and it comprises of Sideswipe, Fixit, Strongarm, and Grimlock taking on a new kind of Decepticons. Somewhat of a rag tag team but it does show some promise. Yet for some reason, there is still the concern about the other cast from the Prime series since they were the main focal point on the previous. Really wanted to see how Jack and the kids are like a little grown up. Maybe we'll see them in the near future of the series. Still, it says that they would make their debut on Cartoon Network instead of the Hub (or Discovery Kids as they are now called). Kind of weird that they're airing that show there. Maybe they should put Transformers Prime on Cartoon Network too, so that people could get an understanding on what the Hell is going on. Sadly, that wouldn't happen as they might watch the series on Netflix. No word as to when they're going to release it in 2015, but if they do, I need to watch all of Beast Hunters before I could actually begin watching this one. Been saving it for so long it's making it difficult to watch as I got other shows to observe. Guess I'll just roll with it and hope for the best. Anyways, back to the main story, I have a good enough response from the readers. Got 14 reviews and almost 900 hits in the last chapter. Not so much as the first but it's gaining ground. I hope this one will get a strong enough response. Let's enter the third chapter of Headmaster on TFP: Season 3. The team headed to Sumdac Systems to see what Sari's father does for a living. Unfortunately, Masterson was present as he demonstrated his Headmaster Unit in the most extreme of ways. Will the team stop his and his continuous rampage? See for yourself.**

**Chapter Notes**

**Now I'm going to add one more character from the Transformers Animated universe. I know what all of you are thinking, who I'm going to add this time. Well, I don't want to spoil anything to you people, so here's a little tip. The person hates machines. Let me see if all of you can figure that out.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Prime**

* * *

Chapter Three: Sumdac Systems

It was a lovely day on a Saturday morning and there's not a cloud in the sky. The perfect weather for a trip through Detroit. Within the Autobot base under Lake Eerie, all of Team Prime was gathered to get ready for this little trip Sari has planned for them. Within the group, Wheeljack was a little hesitant about this and asked about this trip.

Wheeljack: "So let me get this straight. I had to put my tinkering of my ship on hold just to go on a little field trip? I thought we were doing a little scouting for energon."

Sari, who was in the middle of the group, shrugged her shoulders and apologized.

Sari: "Sorry about that Wheeljack. But this is a great opportunity for you to see what my dad works with. Besides, he's an innovator like you back in the day. I'm certain you guys can collaborate or something."

The Wrecker waved it off and told her that it's all right.

Wheeljack: "No can do girl. As much as I appreciate your father being a robot builder, I prefer to work on my own. After all, we already got humans working on Cybertronian weaponry, and they're the bad kind."

Bulk turned to his friend and told him that it was all right.

Bulkhead: "Oh, don't get too worked up over this Jackie. The professor isn't like MECH in anyways. Even if he went to that crowed, at least he had a conscious unlike those other ego driven morons. He'd seen the errors of his ways and helped us all. I think we deserve to check and see what he's working with in his industry."

He turned to Bulkhead and was still a little hesitant, but honest.

Wheeljack: "Whatever you say Bulk. Just as long as he's on our side, it's cool with me."

He then turned to the others and was a little concerned of one other thing.

Wheeljack: "Still, I don't get why we want to make a road trip out of this when we could take the Jackhammer down to this place. Might save us the time in getting there."

Jack looked to him strangely and explained about that.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Wheeljack, Detroit is a big city filled with people of many nationalities. If we take the Jackhammer over the city and people notice it, they will be in a panic frenzy. It's best we drive down to the place and perhaps familiarize ourselves with the city itself."

Arcee then went next to him and continued with the explanation.

Arcee: "Rodimus does have a point there Wheeljack. If we are going to live here, we need to keep a low profile in front of the public. And besides, after what happened with Jasper, it's going to be a while until the humans here get comfortable with us."

Jackie lifted his servos up in surrender and decided to follow their advice.

Wheeljack: "All right, all right! I got the message! No fly bys over city limits. Still, though, it would've been faster in the air."

As that conversation was going on, Raf looked to Bee and told him that he felt a little excited.

Raf/Firewall: "I can't believe that we're actually going to head to Sumdac Systems! It's almost like a dream come true! Right Bee?"

The scout looks to him and was a little silent about that.

Bumblebee: _**(Gee Raf, you certainly are happy about this.)**_

The hacker gave a slight chuckle and told him about it.

Raf/Firewall: "C'mon Bee, I've always watched the commercials of Sumdac Systems on the TV and wished to see it in person. Now that wish has come true and I can't wait to see what's inside. I bet they're making many innovations for the future."

Bumblebee: _**(I'm certain that they're could be something cool in there as well. Just try to be on your best behavior. Okay?)**_

Raf nodded, knowing that this trip is that of a visit and not a vacation to Disneyland. Still, he felt a little sorry for someone else not coming with them.

Raf/Firewall: "It's a shame Sam isn't going to be here today. Having him miss this makes myself feel part empty."

Rodimus turned to Firewall and told him that it was all right.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Hey don't feel bad about yourself. Sam needs to be with his family to see what college he needs to go to. Hell, he's not the only one that feels left out. I talked to Vince if he wants to join us as well and he declined. Something about orientation at the auto shop he's applying to. Oh well, it's his loss. But I did promise him a simple souvenir when he comes here."

Smoke chuckled and thought that was kind of cute.

Smokescreen: "You? You're going to give a souvenir to someone who bullied you all your life. How awkward."

Jack turned to him and told him it's cool.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Well it would seem that he's starting to warm up on me. After all, he been through too much and he needs someone to comfort with. Surprising that I'm the last person he wants to make friends with."

The two laughed it up as Sari approached them and told them that it's time to go.

Sari: "All right you two break it up. It's time we meet up with my dad at the factory."

Everyone look to her and could tell that she was loosing her patience in going. Knowing this, Arcee decided to agree with her.

Arcee: "She's right. We got this day all planned out thanks to her. Let's not leave it to waste."

Soon enough, she and the other Autobots transformed into their vehicle forms, getting ready to leave. When Sari was about to enter Miko's McLaren, she turned to see Ratchet and Altra still with a recovering Optimus. So she asked again like the many times before.

Sari: "You're certain you two don't want to come with us? You guys are going to miss out on all the fun."

Both the medic and nurse looked to her and declined her offer.

Ratchet: "Thanks for the proposal Sari, but I think it's best we stay here. Optimus still needs to recover and we have to make sure that he's on his feet and back in the field. And to be on a lighter note, I'm still waiting for my arm to be protoform since I can't use the prosthetic to transform."

June/Altra: "Don't worry about us, Sari. We'll be all right. Just tell us what we missed when all of you return, okay?"

Sari raised an eyebrow and finds their responses a bit flattened. But she let it slide and throw her hand like that of a teen girl.

Sari: "Fine, whatever… It's your loss anyways. Come on Miko, let's roll!"

She then she entered the passenger side on the Wrecking Cadet. Kaosu revved up her engine and was delighted she said that.

Miko/Kaosu: "You got it Sar!"

She then spinned her tires hard and sped out of the tunnel like ramp to the outside. The others looked at her go as Arcee sighed through the dashboard.

Arcee: "Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this trip one bit?"

Turning on her Sadie holoform, she and the others went through the tunnel and out into the road. Once all of them were gone, Ratchet gave a bit of a sigh and couldn't believe that they would leave for a little fun after what they've been through in Darkmount. Optimus could tell that he was worried and eased him down.

Optimus Prime: "Easy now old friend. The Autobots have been through a lot in the past few weeks. They all deserve a little break once in a while."

Ratchet though turned to him and explained about the situation they all were in.

Ratchet: "That's what I'm worried about Optimus. Our team resting from their ordeal while Megatron and his armada are planning something worse for us. We were lucky to barely survive the onslaught of the Predacon. Who knows what those brutal slaggers can cook up next."

Optimus looked to the tunnel the team left and still have faith in them.

Optimus Prime: "I understand your concern. And I know that they will prevail if trouble arises. But for now, let them relax and enjoy their day off. There is nothing to worry about."

Ratchet nodded and could tell the Optimus knows that the team's going to be safe. But looking at the tunnel the team left, he still has that pit in his fuel tank that something bad was going to happen.

* * *

Back outside, Team Prime was driving in an orderly manner in the highway with Kaosu leading the way since Sari knows the direction of Sumdac's System's factory. As they were driving, Jack asked the girl about the directions they're taking.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Uh, Sari? Do you know where you're going?"

Sari heard it through Kaosu's dashboard and told him she got it.

Sari: "Well duh… I've known my father's facility anywhere in Detroit. I've always visited him anytime I get bored. And trust me, I know my way around the city."

Miko overheard that and responded back to him.

Miko/Kaosu: "Yeah Jack. Don't get your bumper all loosened up. She knows what she's doing. Why don't you and your girlfriend head down for your long drives? Stop by the car wash. Maybe even watched a Drive Thru movie together and watch something that's horror based. I'm certain you all like that."

Sari couldn't help but to laugh about the little jokes Kaosu made. Jack though remained quiet as he cringed in his vehicle mode. Cee though drove close to him and told him that it was all right through the comms.

Arcee: "Don't let that get to you Jack. She's just simply joking with you. But don't worry; once this trip is over with, we'll have ourselves a little alone time down that road and you will forget about those jokes."

Rodimus turned his review mirror to her and smiled mentally, knowing that she's right. Since the two are now sparkmates, they would want to spend time with each other and not have any form of distractions ruining their love for each other.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Thanks Arcee. I know that you understand. Perhaps we should take the bridge and look at the view of the Grand Canyon. My treat."

The femme gave a chuckle out of her speakers and really like that.

Arcee: "Anytime lover. Just make sure that we're away from the public. The Grand Canyon is a big place and there's not enough places to hide in."

Jack chuckled too and knew that they need to keep their identity a secret, even if they were revealed to the public.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Deal."

Bumblebee saw this in the front and groaned in a slight static.

Bumblebee: _**(Oh man… They're at it again…)**_

The others saw this and agreed with their scout.

Bulkhead: "You can say that again Bee. Those two certainly are made for each other. Makes it feel uncomfortable for us."

Smokescreen: "Yeah… I don't know what's worse. Getting interrogated by Cons, or seeing these two getting all lovey dovey?"

Raf watched on and told them that it's normal.

Raf/Firewall: "Come on guys, give it a rest. The two are made for each other. Been so since day one. Let them have their time together, cause you may never know how long that would last."

Wheeljack then heard that and could agree with the hacker.

Wheeljack: "Got a good point there Firewall. Rodimus is now a Prime, and that mantel has a whole lot of responsibilities. Sometimes you have to get rid of any weakness from you, and that includes love. Optimus knows that, and he has to give up his own love to protect our planet."

Raf turned his review mirrors in the back and was in complete surprise.

Raf/Firewall: "What?! Optimus use to have a girlfriend?!"

Jackie laughed it off and told Raf about it.

Wheeljack: "You sound quite surprised. Yes, Optimus used to had a sparkmate in Elita One, long before he became a Prime. Those two were quite an item for a long time and were planning on spark bonding to cement their relationship. But when the war started and he started his journey as a Prime, he started to distance himself from her, fearing that something bad would happen to her. Sure Elita tried to get close to him again, joining the ranks and fighting the big fight. But no matter how hard she tries, she never got her love back. She's still trying to win his spark to this day as well."

Raf/Firewall: "And how do you know about that? Don't you think that she would've perished in the war along with all the others?"

Wheeljack: "That's the beauty of it. Do you know that Arcee had sisters?"

There was a bit of silence from hearing it, but then he realized what he was talking about.

Raf/Firewall: "Elita-One and Arcee are sisters?"

Wheeljack: "Bingo kiddo. Both Cee and Elita, along with the youngest one Chronia, were known as the Femme Fatale. Three Cybertronian sisters that take down Cons no matter what the odds. Even though they were separate and joined with other teams, they always stick together as sisters. But what I'm trying to say is that Arcee and Jack will go through the same thing Optimus and Elita went through. Sure they'll start going out together and have their little private time between one another. But when that time comes and Rodimus picks up where Optimus left off, Arcee will be spark broken. Think about that for a moment and understand that love hurts."

Raf listened to him and understands the situation. Jack and Arcee are in love, but for how long? Now that Jack has become a Prime and would soon begin training. And when that happens, they will begin to grow distance until they can never be together again. He just hopes that it doesn't end like that, cause the two have a strong bond that can never be broken.

Sari: "Well, here we are!"

The sound of Sari's voice through the dashboard broke Raf's concentration as he looked ahead to see they're leaving the forest area. Upon leaving the area, the group could see the view of a city, small in size but have tall buildings and iconic structures dotted here and there. The group was in awe as Sari welcomed them to her home.

Sari: "Welcome to Detroit, Michigan: the city of manufacturing."

The group continued to drive down the freeway and entered the city. As they go through the streets, Sari told them about this city.

Sari: "Detroit is known as the city of industry, mostly focusing on automobiles and such. But since the great recession in 2008 this city struggled through some tough times. But since my dad started his own company, business has been booming and Detroit got back on the map."

The others looked at the review mirrors to see some strange robots helping around. Everything from cleaning the sidewalks to assisting with the garbage, and even a few little bots going up and down on the high rises, cleaning the windows. Everyone looked on and in awe and couldn't believe that they were seeing something like that.

Arcee: "Wow… Didn't think a city like this have robotics from within."

Smokescreen: "Yeah, gets you to think why we didn't see any robots in Jasper."

Jack felt a little insulted and told them the reason why.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Uh… Because Jasper is in the middle of nowhere and isn't much of a huge city. I don't think the town has the money to afford our own robots."

They then made a stop at a nearby traffic light and wait for it to turn green. As they were waiting, Raf noticed something up on the wall and told the others about it.

Raf/Firewall: "Speaking of Jasper, look up there."

The others look up to where the hacker was looking at. What they saw was a billboard of an American flag with a message that says, _'Remember Jasper.'_ The others starred at it and were touched.

Miko/Kaosu: "Huh… Ain't that something? These people our honoring our former home."

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Yeah. I mean who to thunk it? Just a few weeks ago, no one ever heard of Jasper, Nevada. Now they all know of it after the Cons attacked it. Kind of strange actually."

Arcee looked to her sparkmate through her review mirrors and told him that it's all right.

Arcee: "Nothing's strange about it Jack. You humans always remember those that are tragic to the human eye. If I remember correctly, everyone was upset about what happened on 9/11 and ever since there are those to mourn over the loss of loved ones."

Rodimus looked back with his own review mirrors and responded back in her thoughts.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Well that's over a decade ago and it was a dark day for everyone. But that was when terrorists decide to try to break our spirits. But what happened in Jasper is completely different. What the Decepticons did was a whole lot worse then what Al Quida had done."

Arcee: "Doesn't matter. Whoever caused problems it's still tragic to the naked eye. Sometimes, you got to cope with loss and learn to move on."

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Hmm… Learned that from experience Arcee. I know how to felt when you lost Tailgate and Cliffjumper. I can imagine what you've been through all that time."

The two-wheeler gave a bit of a chuckle and told him that it was nothing to worry about.

Arcee: "Really? What happened to both Tailgate and Cliff was the hardest for me to swallow. There isn't any waking solar cycle that I been thinking what would happen if I managed to save them. But as long as you're here with me, then I will be sure to protect you. Just don't die on me, okay?"

Jack laughed it off and told her to do the same.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Only if you don't do the same thing as well."

The two looked to each other and knew they will keep each other's promises. The light soon turned green as the group drove down the street again while Sari started to give out directions to where the factory is located. During the drive, they made a stop at another light as they wait to move. During the wait however, they heard a loud booming voice coming from the distance.

Captain Fanzone: "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Everyone turned their review mirrors to the left of the voice while Sari checks at the window. What they saw was quite a sight. On the side walk, a man around his fifties with a balding yellow hair, yellow mustache, and has a wide physic for his age was arguing to a parking attendant bot that was writing a ticket next to a beat up yellow car of some kind with a race stripe to the side. He was wearing a light blue polo shirt with a dark blue tie, brown pants with built in suspenders, and what appears to be a police badge of some kind. The attendant bot was explaining to the strange man about what he did.

Parking Attendant Bot: _"This car is parked near of fire hydrant sir. I'm writing a ticket to your car cause it violates the rules. Fire officials need these hydrants in an event of fire or they will have difficulty in getting their hoses in the hydrants if the cars are in the way."_

The man was a little upset over this and explained his reason parking here.

Captain Fanzone: "Come on now! My car isn't nowhere near the hydrant! It was parked away from it! How could that count as an illegal parking?"

Parking Attendant Bot: _"I'm sorry sir. But it's the rule that all cars that aren't following proper law enforcement should be ticketed immediately. If you had anything against it, your should report to the local law enforcement for a complaint."_

Captain Fanzone: "Report to the local law enforcement? I AM THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT!"

Parking Attendant Bot: _"Please file your complaint to the authorities and they will be with you in a total of ten days. Have a nice day."_

The bot then walked away from the person and went back to its duties. This person crumpled the ticket and started to get annoyed by this.

Captain Fanzone: "This is why I hate machines…"

As soon as he said that, he heard another voice at a distance.

Sari: "Having a little trouble Fanzone?"

The person, who is named Fanzone, turned to the street and saw Sari with her head peaked out of the window of the McLaren. He sighed and could tell who she is.

Captain Fanzone: "Well now… If it isn't Sumdac's little princess. What brings you to the downtown area?"

Sari shrugged her shoulders a little and told him her reasons.

Sari: "Oh, I got some new friends that arrived around Detroit recently. Thought I decided in taking them to my dad's office and see how he does business.

She pointed to the back as Fanzone looked on to see a wide variety of cars behind the McLaren. The captain could tell that these were no ordinary cars as they seemed a little more supped up then the vehicles he seen across town. At least Arcee had her Sadie holoform otherwise there would've been questions regarding a bike without a driver. Fanzone looked on and whistled to himself.

Captain Fanzone: "Got to say, that's a lot of fine cars. I know Detroit is home to some fast rides, but I've never seen any like those before. But who do I care? I more into the old school kind like the beaut right behind me. You can't beat reliable."

He pointed back to his yellow car that was a little rusty here and there and looked like it ready for the junkyard. Sari raised an eyebrow and thought that he was loosing it.

Sari: "Yeah… That certainly has a lot of mileage back in the day."

Fanzone immediately look back to her and asked for a simple request.

Captain Fanzone: "Can you do me a favor. Tell your pops that he needs to do something about these Parking Attendance Bots. They are really being a pain. Can't even park my car anywhere with those things giving me tickets days on end.

The young teen gave a chuckle and decided to do that.

Sari: "I'll tell him about that when I see him captain."

Fanzone nodded as he went back to his car to see how to get rid of the ticket. The moment he left, Sari got back into her seat and gave a deep sigh.

Miko/Kaosu: "What was that about? Who was that guy?"

The teen girl looked right at the Wrecking Cadet's dashboard and told her about him.

Sari: "That was Captain Fanzone. He's the chief of police within the DPD. He's a bit of a stick in the mud, but he's kind to the residents. The bad thing about him is that he has a slight hatred to my dad's stuff. That no matter where he goes, every robot malfunctions around him. He's sort of a Robophobe if you ask me."

She could hear the others discussing about that.

Bumblebee: _**(Wow. A person who hates robots. Who'd of thought of that happening?)**_

Bulkhead: "Heh, heh. Yeah, tell me about it Bee. With his hatred to robots, he should be BFF's with Fowler. They both have something in common."

Smokescreen: "Yeah. Good thing he hasn't seen us in our bipedal modes, otherwise he would have a serious heart attack."

The group laughed it off for a little bit as Arcee told them to shut it.

Arcee: "All right, that's enough from all of you. We don't want to upset more humans as we already did. Let's just head to Sumdac's factory and get it over with."

As soon as the light turned green, the group drove ahead and was reaching the area. After fifteen minutes of driving and turning, they entered the gates of the factory with a security bot on watch. Once they reached the entrance, the bot turned to the McLaren as the windows lowered and Sari popped her head out.

Security Bot: _"State your name and business here."_

Sari: "Sari Sumdac. I have some new friends that are visiting my dad's factory for a while. I do believe my dad gave you permission to let them pass."

The security bot turned on the visor over its face and looked through the recent records. Seeing the one posted of visitors looking at the facility, it nodded and told them to go through.

Security Bot: _"Permission approved. Please proceed."_

The entrance stick lifted up and let the group in. As Team Prime entered the facility, Raf got the jitters and got a familiar feeling.

Raf/Firewall: "Urgh… Why do I have a creepy feeling that that almost looks like the humanoid version of Soundwave?"

Sari laughed it off and told him that it was all right.

Sari: "Don't mind that. Sure some of my dad's creations are a bit creepy, but they get the job done no matter what. You'll get use to it."

As they left the security gate, the group drove forward and was amazed by what they were seeing. Up ahead was a huge faculty over the docks that have multiple buildings of different wings. At the very end is a bigger building with non-polluted smoke billowing out of the top stacks. As they were driving, Sari welcomed them to her dad's home.

Sari: "Welcome to Sumdac Systems, epicenter of Detroit's manufacturing industry."

The group drove past the buildings and observed what goes on inside. What they witness is scientists and maintenance personnel working around the clock, fixing and perfecting a wide variety of robots of all shapes and sizes. They even seen one scientist doing a simple exercise move as one bot was mirroring him. Wheeljack watched it all and was very intrigued by it all.

Wheeljack: "Well color me interested. This is a whole 'nother level of science. Never thought your pops does robotics pretty well."

Sari lay back in the passenger side of Miko and couldn't help but to feel cocky.

Sari: "What can I say? My dad's a pro in robotics. Whatever he makes, there's no limit to what he can do."

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "So, where are we going?"

Sari: "Dad will be waiting for us at the assembly line in the main building. He says that he's got something ready in the testing section and wants us to see it. Don't know what it is, but I think it must be super cool."

The group drove down to the main building to meet up with Sumdac. What none of them didn't know is that something's about to happen that would spell trouble for them.

* * *

Back at the very same entrance, a young scientist with purple hair was approaching the same security bot the Autobots saw. That person was Masterson as he was making his way to the entrance of the facility. As he was slowly getting to the place, the guard stopped him and asked the same thing he told Sari.

Security Bot: _"State your name and business here."_

Masterson turned to it and told it why he's here.

Henry Masterson: "Henry Masterson. I'm here to start putting the… finishing touches in my project."

The bot turned on his visor and looked for anything on the latest records. Once it was finished, it turned to him and told him the bad news.

Security Bot: _"I'm sorry Mr. Masterson, but there is no report of you coming to Sumdac System's facility today."_

Masterson sighed as he was digging something into his pocket while making a complaint.

Henry Masterson: "Well this is pretty much a last minute thing. I'm certain that a bot of that intelligence should understand unexpected arrivals and such."

But the Security Bot wouldn't listen and told him to go.

Security Bot: _"Protocol dictates that any of all research, construction, and testing of Sumdac products must be approved by Issac Sumdac and/or Porter C. Powell. You don't have approval from neither of them. Please leave the facility or I'll be calling the local authorities."_

Masterson still played it coy until he pulled out his plan B.

Henry Masterson: "Come on now! This has got to be some type of misunderstanding. Look back at the schedule and- STUN GUN!"

He quickly took his stun gun out of his lab coat pocket and fired a charged shot at the bot. The drone was hit and was jittering like it had a sejure until it fell limp and went offline temporarily. Henry blowed the sparks off his gun and was delighted that it all worked.

Henry Masterson: "Total ownage…"

He then went past the disabled security bot and made his way to the storage building to get his project.

* * *

Back within the facility, Sumdac was waiting at the garage entrance of the main building, hoping his daughter and her friends arrived. Just then, he heard a horn at a distance and turned to see who did that. That's when he saw a small group of vehicles heading towards him. Looking at the variety color schemes, he could tell who they were and smiled so warmly. Once they made a complete stop, Sari got out of the Miko's McLaren and rushed to her father, giving him a deep hug.

Sari: "Daddy!"

Professor Sumdac: "Oh hello there Sari. I'm so happy to see you here."

He then look to the Autobots in their vehicle forms and welcomed them too.

Professor Sumdac: "And it's nice to see you too Autobots. Welcome to Sumdac Systems. Hope the trip was pleasant on the way here."

Sari gave a sheepish smiled and told her dad what happened.

Sari: "Actually dad, we came across Fanzone recently. He said that you need to fix the Parking Attendance Bots as they keep on giving him tickets for some unknown illegal parking."

Sumdac look to her and wonder why that would happen.

Professor Sumdac: "Is that so? I could've sworn those attendant bots were fixed. Odd… Might as well have the maintenance crew look into each of the bots to see if there's an error. I wonder why they keep ticketing Fanzone though."

Smokescreen heard that and thought of something.

Smokescreen: "Hmm… Maybe he's bad luck every time he's near of robot."

Every bot looked to Screen with their review mirrors and was silent expressions underneath their vehicle modes. The Elite Guard member looked to them and could tell they didn't like his little joke.

Smokescreen: "What? You guys are thinking it. Thought I would say it."

The others gave some deep sighs as the professor then told them to come on in.

Professor Sumdac: "Why don't you get into the garage so you can stretch a bit, then we'll begin the tour."

Soon enough, the garage door opened automatically as it revealed an empty loading dock. As soon as it opened, the team slowly drove into the area as the Professor and Sari soon enter after. Yet still, none of them were unaware that something bad was bound to happen.

* * *

Deep inside the storage section of the facility, the place was quiet and defected and nearly completed bots were all lined up in neat little rows. Just then, a locked door was opened up as someone gain access through an ID card. As the door slowly started to open, a stranger peeked his head left and right to see if the ghost is clear. That person was Masterson as he casually walked down to the warehouse and checked to see if no one was following him. He was glad that no one did see him as he took a deep breather.

Henry Masterson: "Good, no ones around. Now to find that unit."

Entering storage, he looked around to search for what he was looking for. Checking each section, he could tell that there were a lot of robots with different occupations and sizes, but he needed one that is special to him. Looking around, he spotted a huge container that says, _'Headmaster Unit'_ and smiled to himself.

Henry Masterson: "There you are."

He then approached the digital pad lock on next to the box and inputted the code he needed to get his project. Once he pressed enter, the door of the crate unlocked and started to make a huge hissing sound. Backing up, the door slowly opened with a home garage slant as vapor came out of it. Walking back to it, Masterson saw his Headmaster Unit sitting there with its smug identical face and cocky look. It's just like the one in his model, but was bigger in mass. Seeing this, he smiled and repeated what the professor said to him.

Henry Masterson: "Questions Mr. Sumdac? My project raises too many questions? Perhaps a little demonstration will prove to you that my project is superior. Now all I need is a body for my work."

He scanned the area, to see what could be useful. That's when he spotted something he never dreamed of. It was a huge construction bot that was six stories tall with multiple arms that was used to demolition and construction. Seeing this behemoth, he smirked and liked what he was seeing.

Henry Masterson: "Score!"

He immediately took his lab coat off to reveal his jumpsuit and approached the side of the unit to open up the compartment. Once he was in, he took out a helmet that was similar to the top part of the Headmaster and placed it on his head.

Henry Masterson: "All right, time to show these noobs why my work is the best."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the factory section, Professor Sumdac was showing the Autobots around the assembly line. With them back to their bipedal modes and with so much room to move around, it was easy for them to walk about and marvel at the side. Sumdac then started to discuss about the history of Sumdac Systems.

Professor Sumdac: "Back in the day, Detroit was once known as the world's leading manufacturing city. Building automobiles to not only help sustain travel, but to give jobs to those working for salary. However, due to the Great Recession in 2008 and most of the automobile manufacturers deciding to more to Asia and Canada for a cheaper budget, Detroit struggled badly. But when I arrived in the scene to provide with an alternative way to keep this city thriving, Detroit grew stronger. Today, Detroit is still the manufacturing capital of the world not of Automobiles, but Automatons. These robots, or as we here at Sumdac Systems like to call them, our tireless mechanical partners – are ever reliable, never complaining. No task is too mundane or unpleasant for them to accomplish. They are unencumbered by fears and phobias most of the everyday workers have to go with. And they are able to survive and withstand extreme environments far beyond the capacity of us mere humans. In short, they are perfect in anyways."

The group walked down the assembly line and was engrossed by both the construction and history. Wheeljack however wasn't too thrilled as he crossed his arms and grunted.

Wheeljack: "Wow… You've created robots to do your dirty work. How selfish. Never really thought you guys would be that lazy."

Sumdac look to the Wrecker and didn't think he would be impressed by it.

Professor Sumdac: "Well indeed creating robots help make life around here better. But it did lead to complaints that those of working class were getting tired to not having a job while the robots do the work for them. Which of course lead to that Workers Strike Riot a few years ago. However, we were able to repair the damage and came to an agreement that both the workers and the robots would work together in national harmony. Even on the Sumdac System assembly line, humans and machines work side by side to make the latest line of my Sumdac Robots."

Arcee look to the line of robots being constructed and was amazed by it all.

Arcee: "Amazing… I got to say professor, you've certainly have made great work with these Automatons. But there is still one question that's bothering me as of late."

Sumdac look to her and wonder what she wants.

Professor Sumdac: "Yes Arcee, what do you wish to speak to me about?"

She turned to him and asked him about these robots.

Arcee: "All this is quite unique. Never in my life I should see a species perfect robotics as you. It's almost like it's just as advance as Cybertron's work. Exactly where did you get the idea for your robots?"

Sumdac's response was a slight grin and wink of the eye.

Professor Sumdac: "Let's just say it was something that I just sort of… Stumbled upon."

Arcee raised an optic ridge and was curious as to what he meant by that. Jack though look to her and told her it was all right.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "I think what the professor said is that it's a Sumdac secret. Nothing to worry about, Arcee. We don't want to get involve in anything private."

The femme looks to him and was still a little unsure.

Arcee: "Not so sure about this Jack. The way he sounds seems like it's a different matter."

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "What do you think would happen? That he's keeping something dark and sinister. It's nothing serious Cee."

Miko though became cocky and started to say something out of her mouth.

Miko/Kaosu: "Yeah… There's nothing to worry about. Until the robots start to rise up against the humans and exterminate everything they see fit."

Everyone looked to the cadet and had awkward stares to her. She looked at each of them and told them about her reasons.

Miko/Kaosu: "I've watched Aliens, Terminator, and I-Robot. I know how all of it ends."

Sari shook her head and a little annoyed by that.

Sari: "Oh please… I don't know how those movies got your idea, but my dad would never make robots that would turn on humanity."

Sumdac nodded in agreement and told the Kaosu that it was all right.

Professor Sumdac: "Indeed, some people might thing these robots are intimidating. But they are 100% loyal to humans and would follow any orders. You can sleep easily Miko, there won't be any nuclear tragedy or alien spawning."

She placed her servos to her hips and wasn't amused.

Miko/Kaosu: "Ha, ha… How hilarious…"

Bulkhead then turned to him and wanted to know if there's anything these robots could do.

Bulkhead: "Got to say, this certainly is something. But exactly what these robots do is the question."

The professor turned to him and explained about that.

Professor Sumdac: "Well, there's a wide variety of what these bots can do. Such examples include plumping, washing windows, tutoring in the event that kids can't go to school, scrubbers, trash collecting, construction, assisting, pretty much everything."

Bee heard all of this and was speechless about that.

Bumblebee: _**(Scrap… Never thought these bots can do all of that.)**_

The hacker nodded and agreed with his friend.

Raf/Firewall: "Yeah… These bots can really do it all. A shame there is no bots for assistance. We could really use some help in our time of need."

Sumdac then overheard that and decided to show them something.

Professor Sumdac: "Actually, I got something that you might like. There's the latest project I've been working on for the police force and I want to show it to you. If you can please follow me to the testing wing, you will be surprised."

He soon left the assembly and gestured them to come. The group looked to each other and wonder what else he has in store for them. So out of curiosity, they followed the Sumdac family to the testing wing, still bewildered as to what's bound to come.

* * *

Returning to storage, Masterson was in his Headmaster Unit and was pushing a few buttons. As soon as he hit the ignition, the machine started to hum to life as he got hold of the controls.

Henry Masterson: "Everything seems operational. Good. Now let's get this party started."

Henry quickly activated his thrusters as the Headmaster Unit took off and flew high into the air through the opened top. Once he was in the air, he approached the construction bot and prepared to get its body. Going over its head, he begins the procedure. First, he activated the lasers at the bottom to create a circular cut. Then a crane came out of the middle of the bottom and grabbed the head. Once taking hold of its head, Masterson pulled the unit up high and pulled the head of its body, sending circuits and wires flying everywhere. He moved the head away and started to drop it to the floor, making a huge sound that anyone outside could hear. Knowing that someone would notice it, Masterson needs to make this quick. Heading back to the body, he lowered the Headmaster Unit to the body and connected it. Just as he did that, his own wires connected to the body's motor functions and circuitry. He looked to the screen and was a message that said, _'Synchronizing Complete. Headmaster Unit Fully Operational.'_ Henry saw this and was completely delighted.

Henry Masterson: "Yes! Total ownage! Now it's time to show Sumdac how great my project is."

Activating the bot body, he lifted the arms and legs up to start a test drive. Once he got the kinks working, he was prepared to show his work to Issac Sumdac, by any means necessary.

* * *

Heading to the testing wing, the entire place was empty as the area was filled with targeting panels. The only person that was there was Porter C. Powell as he was tapping his foot and waiting for someone to come. Looking to his Rolex watch, he could tell someone is binding his time.

Porter C. Powell: "He's fifteen minutes late. What's taking the professor so long?"

As he was waiting, the huge garage door opened up and Powell turned to the right to see who's coming. That's when he saw Issac and Sari as the door was continuing to open up. Powell sighed in relief, as he was a little impatient.

Porter C. Powell: "There you are professor. You had me waiting for fifteen minutes. I don't know if it's wise to bring your daughter to this testing but it's wise to not let her get involved in the testing field."

Sumdac nodded and understand why he didn't like being waited around.

Professor Sumdac: "My apologies Powell, I know you want me to see if these new police drones can pass on my approval. But I was showing Sari's friends around the facility before I could come here."

Powell looked at him strangely and didn't know they have guests.

Porter C. Powell: "Guests? What guests?"

Sari turned to her father and nodded to let them come in. Nodding back, he turned to the huge door and told them to enter.

Professor Sumdac: "You can come in now!"

Soon enough, Porter started to hear footsteps coming from the distance, heavy footsteps. Wondering about that, he saw huge figured coming out of the door and into the light. When he saw this, he was in a panic as Team Prime entered the testing wing. He quickly backed up and was in a state of panic.

Porter C. Powell: "What the! What are they doing here?! Step back! I'm warning you!"

The group looked on and was completely confused by his own reaction.

Wheeljack: "Heh… He got scared the moment he saw us. That's new."

The professor could tell that he didn't like them and tried to calm him down.

Professor Sumdac: "Mr. Powell, please compose yourself. They cannot harm you. They are the Autobots, Sari's new friends."

Porter looked to the professor and was chilling out for the moment. When he looked up to the team, he was still nervous and approached Issac with a bit of concern.

Porter C. Powell: "Mr. Sumdac, I understand that your daughter needs to be with close company. But these things are a public threat. Godfrey said it himself that we cannot trust them and I cold heartedly agree with him."

Hearing that, Sari crossed her arms and didn't like the sound of it.

Sari: "Don't tell me you listen to that blowhard."

Powell turned to her and answered back.

Porter C. Powell: "That I do young lady. You should watch his news show too. It's very useful."

Sari grunted and told him no way.

Sari: "Like that's every going to happen."

Sari's dad decided to let heads cool down and explained his reasons.

Professor Sumdac: "Look I know you have worries over this team, but they're not as bad as you think. They've already done a lot for me. They'd even save and protected my daughter weeks ago. To that I condulge them for that. Just give them a chance and I'm certain that they aren't the threat that this Godfrey said they are."

Powell looked to them and was still a little hesitant about that. But seeing that they haven't attacked yet, he decided to gain his trust from them, if only for a short time.

Porter C. Powell: "Very well. I'll see to it that these Autobots will behave in our testing. If you can behave."

The team looked to him and decided to follow his rules.

Bulkhead: "Don't worry about that bud. We tend to follow orders form our boss. We'll be on our best behavior."

As everyone came into agreement, Arcee was a little hesitant on Porter. It's almost like she had the nagging suspicion that there's something more to him then meets the eye. Jack could tell that she was worried about something and asked her about that.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Something bothering you Arcee."

The femme turned to him and told him about what he was thinking.

Arcee: "It's nothing Rodimus. It's just that something is off with this guy. I can feel it in my mod."

The young mech looked to him and didn't see anything wrong.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Strange… I don't see anything wrong with him."

Arcee: "That's the point, he seems to be calm and collective over this. Seen this many times when we interrogate Decepticons back in the day. He's certainly acting like one, that's for sure."

The new Prime rolled his optics around and told her that it's all right.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Don't get yourself too worked up about it. This Porter seems like an okay guy. Plus Issac knows him well and they must have been friends for a while. I think it's best we trust him, okay?"

Cee turned to him and tried to protest. But knowing Jack, she decided to let it all slide and follow his advice.

Arcee: "Fine, whatever you say partner."

Once that head is cooled down, Sumdac decided to show them what his staff was working on.

Professor Sumdac: "Okay everyone. Gather around the observation area. It's time to show you something special."

Everyone listened to him and started to join him and Powell in observations. Once they were all together, Sumdac took to the front and told them about the latest project.

Professor Sumdac: "Now you said that I don't have any robots used for offensive purposes. But that's where you're wrong. See, we have a police force that is quite good at their jobs. However due to late shifts, lack of officers, and a high crime rate, it's tough for the officers to handle order. That's where Sumdac Systems comes in. See what we've been working on is something we like to call Patrol Drones. They are used to search the streets late at night and detect any trouble that's in their way. They even have built in friend or foe technology and a criminal record database so they can help minimize the casualty count. It's such an impressive piece of work."

Powell then looked to the team and explained about it deeper.

Porter C. Powell: "We've been working on this for months, perfecting it in anyway. We did have a few flaws from the start. Mechanical issues, tracking errors, motor malfunctions, the usual stuff. We'd even had a slight case in one of the previous test when we showed the drone to Fanzone and the police force. We had a slight miscalculation within the friend and foe program and it started to shoot Fanzone's wife. She was unharmed of course, but that incident traumatized her for months."

The group listened in as Kaosu figured something out.

Miko/Kaosu: "Hmm… Guess that could explain why Fanzone hated machines so much."

Porter nodded and thought that was one reason.

Porter C. Powell: "That's one way in putting it. We've been working on the kinks for some time and since Sumdac left for a bit of an extended vacation, we were in a wreck. Luckily, we were able to work on the bugs and believe that we got the drones working again."

Arcee looked to him and was a little hesitant with what he said.

Arcee: "Believe?"

He looked to her and told her that it was all right.

Porter C. Powell: "Don't worry, we've come up with fail safes incase the drones become erratic. Here at Sumdac Systems, safety is our number one priority."

Sumdac then turned to him and decided to begin testing.

Professor Sumdac: "Perhaps we should let the Autobots decide if they are safe or not Mr. Powell. Shall we begin?"

The business entrepreneur looked to him and nodded.

Porter C. Powell: "Perhaps you're right Sumdac. Let's begin the test."

And to that, he pressed a single button on the console at the front and a door started to open up. The group looked at the garage door and see what was going to come out. What they saw was a small tank like bot with treads for feet, arms with machine guns at the end, a siren on top like any other police car, and a Detroit Police badge at the center. The group looked on and was silent about the presentation, until Jack spoke up.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Whoa… That looks like the ED-209s in the Robocop movie."

The professor gave off quite a chuckle and could tell that that got his attention.

Professor Sumdac: "I see that you're familiar with that. I sort of have a love for classic 80s film back in the day. Thought it would be a bit of an homage of sorts. But let's focus on the test, shall we? Now, these bots use a variety of munitions in an event of any situation, whether it be stunners, tranquilizers, and the like. But today, we'll be using live munitions to prove our effective the targeting system and friend or foe program is."

Once the drone is in place and turning to the back end of the range, Powell pressed another button to begin testing. The drone then activated and armed up its guns.

_'Combat mode activated. Searching for acquired targets.'_

As soon as it saw that, Targets started to pop up showing a variety of people. Half of them were civilians and police officers, the other half are those of criminals. Once they started to pop up, the drone started to target those that were criminals and fired bullets at them while the ones that were innocent were left unharmed. Even the criminals were being protected, the drone managed to take care of them as well as it targets the opening and shoot the crooks, as the civilians had no bullets on them. As soon as the targets have been eliminated, the drone stopped firing and the test was completed. The team watched on and was amazed that it took down the wooden crooks, as the innocent people on the targets weren't harmed in any way.

Bumblebee: _**(Wow! Did you just see that?)**_

Smokescreen: "Course we saw that Bee! That was awesome!"

Porter looked on and smiled at the fact that the police drone is completed and was working flawlessly. Turning to the professor, he congratulated him on a job well done.

Porter C. Powell: "Excellent work professor. Another Automaton has passed flawlessly."

The professor nodded and agreed with him.

Professor Sumdac: "Indeed it has Powell. After a bit of trial and error, we've managed to create these police drones to help protect any city. I'll contact Fanzone and let him know that we're ready to mass produce the latest line of Automatons."

As the two were making talks, the drone turned around and was about to leave. But turning to the observation, it noticed the group of Autobots as they watched it leave. What the professor didn't realize is that the drone's purpose is to target the threat. And since the Autobots haven't been downloaded into the friend or foe program, it considers then as a threat as well. When it saw them, it targets them.

_'New targets acquired. Neutralizing the threat.'_

The drone warmed up its guns and was prepared to fire. The group saw it ready to fire as Sari tried to warn her father.

Sari: "Uh… Dad?"

The drone then armed at the team and opened fire second after Sumdac and Powell turned back to see what the problem is. Luckily, the Autobot's armor is strong the hold off the bullets, but not the humans. Bulkhead reacted by grabbing Sari and covering the professor and the financial director covering them like a ball as the bullets continuously hitting his backside. As he was doing that, Wheeljack rushed in and took one of his kantanas out, charging right at the police drone. Getting close enough, he lifted his sword up and strikes it down, penetrating the drone's processor and shutting it down completely. Relaxing for a quick second, he looked down at the damaged bot and spat back.

Wheeljack: "Neutralize that…"

As soon as the shots were over, Bulkhead let the humans go and stepped aside while the three took a quick breather. When turning to see the drone that was firing at them, Sumdac gave a sigh and didn't think this would happen.

Professor Sumdac: "Oh dear… Guess I spoke too soon."

Arcee then stepped forward and gave the professor a little warning.

Arcee: "You know, if I were you, I would update your drone's programming. The last thing you want is them shooting at us Autobots."

The Professor looked up at the femme and knew what she meant. Since they are the protectors, they need to be protected. And what happened with the drone just now proves that there needs to be a little tweaking. Looking back to the drone, he decided that they need to repair it immediately.

Professor Sumdac: "I suppose you're right. I'll send a maintenance crew to bring the drone back to operational status and have them update the drone and detect you guys as a non-threat issue."

Kaosu then approached the damaged drone and although she was a little shaken, she was excited about it.

Miko/Kaosu: "Even after that little slip up, it was still sick! That drone brought a lot of damage to those targets!"

Jackie got his sword out and placed it on his back, agreeing with the cadet.

Wheeljack: "Tell me about it. The way they can do damage, I could imagine that they would do with the Cons. If they can be modified to take Cons on anyways."

Sumdac look to them and was a little concerned.

Professor Sumdac: "I beg your pardon?"

The Wrecker turned to him and talked about it.

Wheeljack: "You know what I mean. If these drones could do that, you need to think about upgrading them to be combat ready."

Issac immediately waved his arms up and told him that he won't do it.

Professor Sumdac: "Oh no, no, no! I wouldn't think about using combat Automatons."

Wheeljack looked to him with a raised optic ridge and was confused about that.

Wheeljack: "What do you mean by that, tiny?"

Professor Sumdac: "Well you see, I have a policy in Sumdac Systems. That policy is that we make Automatons for peaceful applications. So I can't make robots meant for war."

The two looked at each other and could tell that it was bad for them before Miko decided to look to him with disgust.

Miko/Kaosu: "So what, this is somewhat of a hippie company. Talk about a dream killer."

Raf then heard that and realized something.

Raf/Firewall: "That's right! Sumdac Systems have a policy that states that they won't make war bots. They don't want to be competitive as they focus mostly on their consumers."

The professor turned to him and nodded in agreement.

Professor Sumdac: "Quite the observant one young Firewall. Indeed, I'm not interested in creating robots that are meant to hurt people as I focus on robots that would assist them in any way possible. Of course I have to pull a few strings to make drones for the police. Other then that, I'm not going to break policy on military bots."

However, Powell came in and told him about recent events.

Porter C. Powell: "However, due to what happened in Jasper, the board decided that they want to remove the policy so they can begin in making military bots to protect this country, if not the world. However we cannot make any headway unless Sumdac here approves of it."

Sumdac gave a deep sigh and told him that he's not going to do this.

Professor Sumdac: "We've been over this yesterday Mr. Powell. I'm not going to break a policy I made just so you can make robots intended for war. No more, no less."

Powell turned to him and explained that this was serious.

Porter C. Powell: "Come now professor, surely you're not thinking of having these Autobots protect this planet from a huge armada bent on destruction. And what of your precious daughter? Do you really want her protect by these unknowns, or have her protected with the state of the art security Sumdac Systems can provide?"

The teen looked to him and gave him a look of disgust.

Sari: "Sorry, but I prefer to be safe with my friends then with drones that would tend to shoot me on site by accident."

She then pointed to the police drone that tried to shoot her, her dad, and Porter down. As this argument was going on, Arcee looked at the Porter and was curious as to why he wanted Sumdac Systems to be a war corporation? He almost sounds too desperate in doing that. Almost like he wants the professor in removing the policy. She starts to wonder why? But when she was going to figure that out, they all heard a huge explosion of some kind outside as the place started to rumble. Regaining their footing, they looked around and wonder what happened.

Bumblebee: _**(What was that?)**_

As soon as the scout said that, Sumdac got a call on his cell and took it out to see who was calling him.

Professor Sumdac: "Hello? Who is this?" … Whoa, whoa… Calm down I don't understand you." … "What? The facility is under attack! Who?" … "That's impossible! That was decommissioned for a while for maintenance. How could it be reactivated?" … "Never mind. Evacuate the facility and contact the authorities. I cannot let it any casualties get involved."

He hung up the phone and was now looking completely annoyed. Arcee looked to him and decided to leave Powell behind for the moment.

Arcee: "What's going on out there?"

The professor turned to her and explained the situation.

Professor Sumdac: "An out of control Construction Bot is rampaging throughout the facility. I've already giving the order to evacuate, but the police won't be here as soon as they could."

The group looked at each other and was confused until Bulkhead turned to him in a curious expression.

Bulkhead: "Construction Bot?"

He looked to Bulk and told him about it.

Professor Sumdac: "It's an Automaton I made specifically for building the demolishing buildings. It helps save the construction crew time and lives as destroying the buildings could be risky as well as creating. One of them was malfunctioning and I had to put in storage until I have maintenance personnel repairing the issue. But never in my life that it would turn on by itself. This is very odd…"

There was another blasting sound from the distance and the ground began to shake. Powell started to get a little wobbly as he looked to Issac and told him to leave.

Porter C. Powell: "Professor, now is not the time to ponder about that. Right now, we have to find a way in getting out of here before we get crushed!"

The team looked on and could tell that they were in complete danger. A simple bridge would get them out of there, but with the humans in trouble and they can't leave them behind. So looking at each other, they nodded in unison and knew what to do. Arcee turned to the humans and told them what all of them were thinking.

Arcee: "Get everyone to safety. We'll hold it off until everyone is out."

The professor looked to her and was a bit worried.

Professor Sumdac: "You're sure that's wise? With what's been going on, the public might think you are the one causing the damage."

The femme smiled and told him that it's all right.

Arcee: "As long as we're protecting the humans, we'll show everyone that we're not a potential threat for the planet. See to it that everyone gets out of the facility. Will help you along the way."

The professor was a little unsure about that, but giving little time that they have, he has to follow her word. Looking to his daughter, he told her to come.

Professor Sumdac: "You better come with us Sari. It's too dangerous for you now."

She turned to him and argued back.

Sari: "No way! I'm staying with them! Besides, that's what you said when I went to Decepticon territory and I'm still standing."

Professor Sumdac: "But this is completely different! One of my own creations has gone haywire and reeking havoc all across the factory. I cannot let you get hurt."

Arcee turned to her and agree with him.

Arcee: "Father knows best Sari. Stay with him and get out of trouble."

She looked to the two-wheeler and was shocked to hear her say that. Stomping her foot in frustration, she was a little upset.

Sari: "Aw… No fair!"

The femme then looked to the others and told them to move out.

Arcee: "As for use, we got a facility to protect. Roll out!"

* * *

Back outside, the entire facility was in a major panic as scientists and maintenance workers were running for their lives. All around them, fires and shattered debris was falling as something was tearing the place apart. Within the garage of the factory, the door opened upwards and the Autobots left the area with Sumdac, Powell, and Sari following behind. When they got out, they were horrified at the path of destruction they have seen.

Professor Sumdac: "Oh dear… This is far worse then I thought."

The team looked on and could tell this was bad.

Wheeljack: "Huh… Who'd of thunk it that a robots can do that much destruction?"

Cee looks to the chaos and wondered where the threat is.

Arcee: "Certainly reminds me of Cybertron during a surprise attack. The only question is, where's our out of control bot?"

As soon as she asked that, two Sumdac trucks came to the right and tumbled to pieces, blowing up midway through. The team immediately got into their battle stances and waited for the threat to come. They then heard heavy stomps coming from the direction of the toppled down trucks and were ready. When whatever is coming came to full view, they saw the Construction Bot turning to them with its many arms ready to destroy. But when Sumdac saw the bot, he noticed something completely off, especially at the top.

Professor Sumdac: "Odd… I never seen a Construction Bot with a head like that."

Indeed, the head was different then the ones in the original models. This head had that strange smug look as the red and purple color doesn't match and yellow color of the body. Nor did the forehead was large with horns on the side. Looking down to Sumdac, it slowly approached him and said something in a sudden and booming voice.

Henry Masterson: "Ah… Professor Sumdac! So nice to find you while my little morning jog. So, how do you like my creation?"

Everyone was taken back by it and didn't expect it to talk. But the professor heard that and knew where the voice came from.

Professor Sumdac: "Henry Masterson? Is that you? What in blazes are you doing?!"

* * *

Inside the Headmaster unit, Masterson was at the controls and told the professor of his feat through his microphone.

Henry Masterson: "Just wanted to show you how bad ass my project is! You said to me that my work raises too many questions? Well then take a good hard look at this! As you can see, my Headmaster Unit can connect to any body and has complete control over it."

* * *

Back outside…

Henry Masterson: "And the best part is that it can do some serious action! Observe…"

As he says that, he took full control of the bot. Lifting its arm with the wrecking ball up, he fired it and sent it hurtling to an office building of the facility, smashing right through it and sent glass and debris everywhere. Some of it neared the three humans and Raf and Miko scooped them up and got them to safety while the random objects fell to the spot where they were. Once they were safe, the two recruits placed them down to the ground while the wrecking ball was pulled back by the chain and attached back to the arm. He then pounded all of his arms together and was delighted of what he did.

Henry Masterson: "Now that's total ownage!"

The Autobots looked on and was amazed that someone would have control of a robot. The Sumdacs and Powell weren't as thrilled by it as Porter told Masterson to stop it.

Porter C. Powell: "Mr. Masterson, have you lost your mind?! This isn't some testing ground you would like to try your project on! Your destroying Sumdac property and I cannot tolerate that! Get that volatile unit off the bot's body, get down from there, and come out of that blasted thing before someone gets hurt!"

Masterson look down to Powell and was a little annoyed by that.

Henry Masterson: "Sorry, but I'm having too much fun in here. Nothing would stop me from my work, not even a suit like you!"

He then pointed the wrecking ball arm at Porter and was about to fire. But before he could even fire, a rocket came out of nowhere and hit Masterson's bot, stepping back and was in a bit of shock.

Henry Masterson: "What the!"

Looking he could see Kaosu with one of her shoulder rockets up and it was smoking from the blast.

Miko/Kaosu: "Get away from him you fragging psycho!"

Masterson looked to the Wrecking cadet and was a bit confused. Starring her down, he ordered her to fire.

Henry Masterson: "Do that again…"

The Wrecking cadet looked to him with a raised optic ridge and decided to do what he said.

Miko/Kaosu: "Gladly!"

Getting the other shoulder mounted rocket, she fired both rockets and they flew straight to them. Lifting one of the arms up, the rockets hit it and left it unphased. Getting the arm down, Masterson looked to her in the cockpit and was surprised by it.

Henry Masterson: "Huh… That's new… Thought Sumdac didn't create military bots. Unless… You are those alien robots that's all over the news, are you?"

Arcee stepped forward and answered his question.

Arcee: "We are. And you are?"

Henry looked to them and decided to make an introduction.

Henry Masterson: "Henry Masterson. So you guys are the bots Godfrey said are a nuisance. Gotta say, you are certainly cooler in person. But my beef isn't with you; it's with Mr. Sumdac and his rejection to my work. So have a seat while I handle some personal business."

The team looked to each other and knew he's a potential threat. So Smokescreen, being cocky that he is, decided to give him a fare warning.

Smokescreen: "Sorry bud. We can't let some derange co-worker taking action against their boss. If you want Sumdac, you got to go through us."

The Masterson unit had the same look as before, but in the cockpit, he has seething.

Henry Masterson: "Is that right? Well then, is that's the case…"

Lifting the other arm out, it showed a gattling like gun that started to spin in a fever pinch.

Henry Masterson: "Eat bolts!"

He started to fire multiple projectiles at the team. But they weren't bullets or lasers, they were molten hot bolts. The group saw this and had to retreat.

Arcee: "Take cover!"

Jack and Raf picked the humans up and they all made a mad dash out of the line of fire. They all took cover behind a building as the hot bolts hit the floor and remained attached to the ground. Once they got into safety, Cee sighed to herself and turned to the Elite Guard member about what he said.

Arcee: "Smooth move Smoke. Go ahead and make this Masterson guy angrier then ever."

He turned to her and argued back.

Smokescreen: "Hey! I was trying to stand up for the professor. Didn't think that he could fire at us. Who does that guy think he is?"

Before anyone could answer, Powell turned to them and told them about the employee.

Porter C. Powell: "Masterson is a high gifted individual at a young age. Had tops at all the schools of robotics and everything. Though with a genius mind, he's certainly have an obsession with Sumdac. Making him an idol and everything. It's a sickness really."

Jackie looked back to the construction but with the Headmaster Unit and was a little bit unsure about that.

Wheeljack: "Sickness? That's pretty much an understatement. That guy's a sociopath!"

Bumblebee looked on too and knew they had to do something.

Bumblebee: _**(We have to stop him!)**_

Jack then joined in and decided to share his opinion.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "We need to get the professor and the others out of here."

Looking to the two, Arcee decided to do something about it.

Arcee: "Whatever the case, we need to stop this. There's got to be a way in shutting that thing down."

As soon as she said that, the professor had an idea.

Professor Sumdac: "That Headmaster Unit is connected to the body of my Construction Bot. If you can server that head from the body, then maybe…"

Raf heard this and realized what he was saying.

Raf/Firewall: "Then the body will shut down! Brilliant idea professor!"

Nodding as well, Cee figured out what needs to be done.

Arcee: "Then we have a weak spot team. Let's go out there and stop this guy!"

Jack then look down to the three humans and told them to stay put.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "You guys stay here. Don't want you guys to get hurt since we got this loon in the way."

Both Porter and Issac nodded and agreed with the new Prime.

Professor Sumdac: "That's very understandable."

Sari though didn't like it and wanted to help out too.

Sari: "Com on guys. Let me help you out on this guy. He doesn't seem tough."

The two-wheeler looked to her and was a bit surprised to see her act that way.

Arcee: "Sari, this guy is piloting a huge robot filled with Primus knows what weapons it possess. We can't let you go rushing in to perform your adrenaline quota. Stay with your father and stay away from danger, okay?"

The teen girl sighed to herself and decided to follow her advice, for now.

Sari: "All right, fine. I'll stay behind."

Arcee smiled and knew she would follow her advice. Once that matter's out of the way, she turned to the team and told them to move.

Arcee: "Autobots, let's get this clown down. Split up and take him out on all fronts. Move!"

Immediately, the team split into two and transformed into their vehicle forms. Arcee, Kaosu, Bulkhead and Wheeljack took to the right side while Rodimus, Firewall, Smokescreen, and Bumblebee went to the left. Once the group left, Powell looked on and was amazed that they can turn into cars.

Porter C. Powell: "Whoa…"

Sari looked to him and smirked sheepishly.

Sari: "Yeah, they can do that."

* * *

Back out into the battlefield, Masterson waited to see if they were going to come. At first, they thought that they were cowering in fear. But then, he saw the vehicle modes of Arcee, Kaosu, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack coming from the building and turning straight to him. He smiled within the cockpit and was going to like it.

Henry Masterson: "So you guys finally decided to show up? Here, have a taste of hot lead!"

Getting one of his arms out, he fired more heated bolts and they all flew right to the team. Quickly, the group swiveled left and right to avoid the attacks as Bulk was trying to contemplate what to do.

Bulkhead: "So how are we going to cut the head off the bot when it's too high up?"

Arcee looked to that and saw a building high enough to reach the head. Seeing that, she came up with an idea.

Arcee: "Distract him. I'm going to take the ride up."

Bulk looked to her and was a bit confused.

Bulkhead: "What?"

Before he could ask, the femme drifted to the right and made a made dash to the building. Popping a quick wheelie, she jumped and smashed through the window, driving quickly down the hallway. The three Wreckers watched her go in and were a little silent until Miko spoke up.

Miko/Kaosu: "Femme of few words…"

Bulkhead: "Just do what Arcee said and distract him!"

Looking to the Construction Bot, she smiled mentally and knew what to use for a distraction.

Miko/Kaosu: "Not a problem."

Opening the trunk in her back end, she deployed her rocket launchers and fired more missiles at him. The projectiles hit the bots body but it was still standing and was more aggravated then ever.

Henry Masterson: "Is that what you're going to do? Fire nothing but rockets at me? Let me show you my own rockets!"

Getting another arm up, it was showing off some drill like spikes and they started to spin madly. Immediately, the spikes fired and were hurtling straight to the Wrecking cadet. She was in surprise in vehicle form as her McLaren swerved left and right. In between, the drilled hit around her and drilled right through the floor. The last one nearly clipped her as she lost control and went into a tumble, switching back to her bipedal mode and skidding to her chest plate. Shaking the cobwebs out, she looked up and saw the Headmaster Unit in the Construction Bot pointed the last spike to her and was about to impale her. The Wrecker experts looked on and could tell their cadet's in danger.

Wheeljack: "Kaosu's in danger! We got to help her!"

Bulkhead heard this and decided to intervene. Going into overdrive, he sped straight towards her; he transformed and made a mad dash to her. Masterson started to fire as the drill headed to her in blinding speed and was about to kill her. She got up and tried to leave, but she had no time in getting out. Luckily, Bulkhead came out of the blue and used his strength to push her out of the way and himself before the spike could hit either of them. Being in the clear, Miko looked to her friend and sighed to herself in relief.

Miko/Kaosu: "Thanks Bulk. Thought I was a goner."

The Wrecker looked to her and was glad and he saved her.

Bulkhead: "Don't get yourself too cocky there girl. The last thing I want is to take care of you the way you did for me."

She nodded and understands that she didn't want to become another victim like Bulk's time with the ToxEn exposure. The two then turned to the threat in front of them and position themselves for battle. But Henry had one trick up his sleeve and decided to execute it.

Henry Masterson: "You know what I love about these beauties? Because no matter what they use, they always come back to you!"

In the cockpit, the young scientist typed a few main keys and activated something important. The arm that fired the drills started to shift and made a loud humming noise. The two looked at him and wondered what he was doing. Just then, the ground slowly started to shake as the green Autobot looked down to see cracks coming from below him. Seeing a little point sticking out, he realized what the enemy was doing.

Bulkhead: "Watch out!"

Both could feel the pavement beneath their feet split apart as one of the drills came up and flew in the air. They were fortunate enough to get out of that mess, but then more came up from the ground and were around them. Quick on their feet, they managed to avoid each drill as debris and rubble rained all over them. Once they were in the clear, all the drills connected to the end of the arm as Masterson watched in sheer delight.

Henry Masterson: "Now ain't that something?"

As he was doing that, Jackie went next to the team and transformed looking at it in sheer astonishment.

Wheeljack: "He's no Constructicon, but he can sure fight like one."

Bulkhead turned to his friend and told him to follow the plan.

Bulkhead: "Just hold him off long enough so that Arcee can make her move! Whatever that is."

Wheeljack turned to him and wondered what to do.

Wheeljack: "Oh really? And how are we going to do that? I don't know if you notice this, but I don't have my Jackhammer with me to fly around circles!"

Masterson slowly approached them and was ready to deliver his next attack.

Henry Masterson: "You think the three of you are going to stop me. You make me laugh!"

Getting all his arms out, he was about ready to fire with everything he has. But before he could act on it, electrical projectiles came to the right and hit him and he was completely immobile for the moment. Henry looks to the controls to and notice that none of the systems are responding.

Henry Masterson: "What the… System malfunction? What the Hell's going on?"

The Wreckers looked on too and wondered what happened as well. Turning to the right, they saw Raf in his bot mode and he has his tazer blasters up and was sizzling. With a slight smirk, he responded in his most intelligent way possible.

Raf/Firewall: "You forgot about the rest of us."

As he said that, Bumblebee and Smokescreen sped in between him and headed straight to their target. Getting up to a ramp used for moving materials up and down, they took it and flew to Masterson's adopted body. Flying in the air, they flipped, transformed midway through, and fired their blasters right at him. The shots got to him, but didn't slow him down a bit. With his weapon system back online, he turned to them and strikes now while he still has a chance. Deploying the crane with his other arm, he swung it and let the wire get a hold of them. They got caught by the attack, as they were clothesline to the ground. Raf saw this and was firing more electrical charges at him. With him temporarily immobile, he approached the two down Bots and checks and see if they're all right. During that time, Masterson was irate to see the Masterson Unit going on the fritz again and banged on the console to get it to work.

Henry Masterson: "C'mon, c'mon… Work you hunk of junk!"

He banged on it harder until the screens went back to normal and all the systems were functioning. Fist pumping in total success, he look down to hacker attending to Bee and decided take him out.

Henry Masterson: "Think you're so clever huh little bot? Well let me show you how clever I am!"

Turning and heading to that direction, he got the gattling arm up and warmed his weapon. Yet Raf was completely oblivious as to what's going to come next as he was checking to see if the scout recovers.

Raf/Firewall: "Bumblebee, get up! You have to get up! Please!"

After shaking him a bit, Bee started to stir as his optics started to brightened up. The hacker breathed in relief, as he was lucky his best friend is alive. But just as the scout looked to him, he saw the huge arm pointing at him and was ready to fire. He quickly pointed to it while warning him.

Bumblebee: _**(Raf! Behind you!)**_

Firewall looked at him strangely before turning around and see the gun firing hot bolts in a matter of seconds. He had very little time in to get out as he covered his face and waited for the projectiles to come. Just then, Jack arrived in time and got in front of him in his bot mode. Deploying his energy shield and strengthening it, the bolts hit it and bounced all over the place. As he did that, the hacker and the scout got up and thanked Jack for the assist.

Raf/Firewall: "Thanks for that Rodimus. We don't know what will happen if you weren't here."

The new Prime looked back and told the hacker and his friend to go.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Just go and attend to Smokescreen! I'll hold him off as fast as I can!"

The two nodded and hurried to the Elite Guard member as the former teen kept his shield up as long as he could. Masterson looked on at the young bot and couldn't help but to laugh.

Henry Masterson: "You think that's going to stop me? Don't make this too easy on me."

The Headmaster Unit turned to see Bumblebee and Firewall heading to one of his comrades and decided to stop them.

Henry Masterson: "Don't think I haven't forgotten about you two."

Getting another arm up, he used a welder device that is used for to weld girders or anything that's metal. But now that he has the Construction bot in his possession, he upgraded it to an instant flamethrower and shot heavily fiery flames at them. The flames did miss them but formed a barrier to block them form Smoke. The immediately made a stop and saw the flames rising high in the air and preventing them from getting through. Turning back, they could see the Construction bot still pointing the wielder arm to them while using the gattling gun on Jack, who was holding on with his shield.

Henry Masterson: "Let's see if you're metallic bodies are flame resistant, shall we."

He got his arm up and was ready to cook them. As this was happening, the Wreckers watched on and had to do something to stop this maniac. Seeing him distracted, Bulkhead decided on acting fast.

Bulkhead: "Now is our chance to take it down a peg while he's distracted! Jackie!"

Wheeljack look to the arms and knew what he would do. All he needed is some elevation. Seeing a building that he can climb on, he came up with a really good idea.

Wheeljack: "On it!"

Getting his mouth guard up, he rushed to the building, quickly climbing it up as fast as he could. Once he reached the top, he transformed and sped strait to the Construction Bot. Seeing a solar panel that's shifted in a ramp, he took it and sped like the demon. Hitting the ramp, he transformed in the air and took his swords out, ready to strike. With two precise strikes, his swords cut like a knife through butter and took out two of the arms. The first one was the gattling gun that was shooting at Jack's shield, the other arm that had the flamethrower. Both arms were shut off and detached from the body, falling to the floor and left there completely limp. Henry saw the arms got cut off quite easily and was in a panic. At the same time, Wheeljack landed on another building and skidded on his pedes, stopping to look at his work.

Wheeljack: "Whopsie. Sorry about that. Did you really need those?"

Masterson looked to him on the screens of the cockpit and was completely furious.

Henry Masterson: "You son of a bitch! Do you have any idea how hard it was to get those things to work?! Doesn't matter though, I got plenty of weapons at my disposal to thrash on you."

He then armed up another weapon with one of his many arms and pointed it to the Wrecker. At the end of the arm, it looked like a little point, but what it was is a laser cutter used to cut metal into the right size. But since he has it in his disposal, he intensified the heat and shoots a straight line to him. Jackie managed to duck down to avoid the shot, but looking back as the ventilation system, it touched it and cut in with sheer precision, leaving it clean off. Seeing this, he realized that he's in deep trouble.

Wheeljack: "Oh scrap…"

The weapon fired and the laser was heading straight to him. He immediately transformed and sped away as the laser was following him. He immediately jumped off the building on onto the road, getting far away as possible. Still the laser kept heading towards him and was getting near in chopping his behind. Miko saw this and knew this can't be good for him.

Miko/Kaosu: "Oh no! Wheeljack is going to die! I have to do something!"

Looking around the area, she saw and toppled truck and had multiple explosive barrels spilled around. Seeing all of this, a light bulb came to her processor and knew what she can do. Rushing to the barrels, she armed up her gravity hammers and like an aggressive golfer, smacked each barrel to the air and flew right to the target. Each barrel hit the Construction Con's body and they all exploded on impact. That caught the scientist by surprise as he stopped using the laser cutter and turned back to the Wrecking Cadet with sheer disgust.

Henry Masterson: "Really? Barrels of flammable liquid? Is that what you can do to stop me? Allow me to show you some explosives of my own."

With the next arm up, a couple of compartments opened up and fired some unknown projectiles. Landing all around her, she looked to the ground and notice that they were charges ment to blow a building down. The moment they blinked red, she soon found out that she's as good as dead.

Miko/Kaosu: "You've got to be fragging kidding me."

Running for her life, the charges change color to green and they all exploded at the same time. Mixed with the remaining barrels, it created a chain reaction of sheer blasts. The explosions forcibly pushed the cadet out in the clear and she was a little dazed. Bulkhead saw this and was in quite a shock.

Bulkhead: "Kaosu!"

He looked back to the Construction Bot and was extremely angry about it.

Bulkhead: "You're so dead!"

Arming up his blasters, he continuously fired at the threat, yet the armor isn't much penetrable. Wheeljack then came by and transformed, assisting him in the blaster fire. As they were busy, Raf and Bee looked to the flames that were blocking to their comrade. The two looked at each other as Raf had to figure out a way in getting to Smoke.

Raf/Firewall: "We have to find a way in dissipating the fire and get to Smokescreen!"

Bumblebee nodded and looked for a way in extinguishing the flames. That's when he spotted something and pointed to it.

Bumblebee: _**(Look! Over there!)**_

The hacker turned to where he was pointing at and saw an open crate that had a small bot that was red and has a built in fire hose with a water pack on his back, a water nozzle on one arm, and a built in axe on the other. That was of course a fire fighter bot meant to put out flames and go into buildings that are burning at high temperatures to get people out. Seeing this, he smiled and knew what to do.

Raf/Firewall: "Perfect! Follow me Bee!"

Soon enough the two headed to the Firefighter Bot see if they can activate it. Opening up his arm compartment, Raf sticked a cable out and placed it on the activation system of the bot while using his onboard computer to gain access. On his visor, he was looking at the schismatic of the firefighter bot and noticed something weird about it. Yet brushing it aside, he found the activation terminal and bypassed the circuitry to activate it. Once he got through with that, the bot was activated and got up to scan for anything dangerous. When he saw the fire that was preventing them from getting to Smokescreen, it took action.

_"Fire Detected. Victim is in danger. Commence rescue."_

It approached the fire and was prepared to take it out. Getting near the flames, it activated the water and it gushes out of the hose, dousing the flames completely. As soon as the fire dissipates, the bot responded in success.

_"Fire neutralized. Area secured."_

Raf and Bumblebee rushed to the Elite Guard member to see if he's all right while he was starting to come to.

Raf/Firewall: "Smokescreen, are you all right?"

Smoke groaned a little and looked to them with a confused look.

Smokescreen: "Yeah… I think so. Man, that swing by that cable could really put you in a loop. So, did we win?"

Before the two could answer, there was a blast as metal debris came by. One was a big slab hit the Firefighter Bot and slammed it to the wall, destroying it completely. The three looked to the destroyed bot as Bee responded back.

Bumblebee: _**(Um… No…)**_

They all looked up to see the Construction Bot using two arms loaded with magnets to magnetize the debris and flung them at the two Wreckers. Seeing this, they decided to intervene and shoot their own projectiles. The bot could feel the blasts and tazer hits coming from his side and turned to see them with their blasters armed.

Henry Masterson: "You think that's going to stop me? Think again!"

Reaching his magnet out, he attracted a heavy-duty truck and got it with one heavy pull. Turning it towards them, he fired it off and it flew straight towards them with sheer force. The three saw this and jumped/rolled out of the way in time for truck to miss them and smash through an office building. But with him distracted, the Wreckers took that opening and went back to firing at the main target. Jack then approached them and joined in on the fight as well as he armed his blasters and fired away. As they were shooting, the young mech looked around and noticed that someone was missing from the group. So he turned to Wheeljack and asked about it.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Hey, where's Arcee? I didn't see her around since the start of the battle."

Jackie looked to the new Prime and gave a quick smirk.

Wheeljack: "Where do you think?"

* * *

Inside one of the buildings, during the battle, Arcee was racing in her vehicle form looking for a way up. Thankfully the building was evacuated or she would accidentally run into more humans. Checking the area, she noticed a door with the title, _'Stairs'_ at the front, marking the way up. Arming her blasters, she placed a couple a précised shots on the hinges and used her speed to knock the door down in one crucial blow. Once she's inside, she transformed into a kneeling position and launched high in the air. Grabbing onto a railing of the stairs, she jumped back and forth between stairways to help ascend higher. Finally reaching to the top, she went over the guardrail and transformed midway, landing on her tires and reaching the door. Placing two more blasts at the hinges and knocking the door down, she was outside on the roof and sped straight to her target. And her target is a huge Construction Bot with a Headmaster Unit. Looks like that team did all the heavy lifting and taking it down a peg. But it still wasn't enough, as the head needs to be taken off. Going to maximum overdrive, she popped a wheelie and went to full speed. Approaching the ramp like structure, she waited to for the huge bot to be in position. Luckily it was at the mark as she jumped off the ramp. Flying high into the air, she did a quick flip and transformed in the middle of it, landing on the shoulder and into a kneeling position. She turned up to the head and was ready to take it out. Getting her blades out, she pivoted and made a quick spin to create a bunch of scratches to the side.

* * *

In the cockpit, Masterson felt that and noticed a breach in his perimeter.

Henry Masterson: "What the… Extensive damage taken? What the hell is attacking my Headmaster Unit?"

He looked at the screen to see if someone got to him. Checking the live camera feed, there was a huge stomp of a metal foot in front of him as Arcee came to view. He got panicked at first as the femme was in front of him, threatening with her blaster.

Arcee: "It's over buddy! Detach from Sumdac's robot and surrender peacefully."

Henry looked to the two-wheeler and wasn't going to give up.

Henry Masterson: "Sorry missy, but I'm having the time of him life. Just sit back and enjoy the ride!"

With that, he got control of the bot and decided to do a little thrashing.

* * *

Outside, the femme felt the bot move and held on for dear life. Unleashing her blade, she penetrated hard on Masterson's invention and kept herself stable. On the ground, the team saw Cee getting on the bot and was trying to stop the scientist. Sadly it didn't work as he was forcing the femme to get off of him his own way. He was moving around, smashing through buildings around the battlefield as debris fell all over the place. The team started to transform and scatter as the metal and concrete fell all over them. Once they were in the clear, they transformed back and witness their comrade struggling to stay on top of the bot. Jack looked on and was getting incredibly nervous.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "What is Arcee doing? Has she lost it?"

Bulk look to him and had a slight smirk to his face.

Bulkhead: "Typical… A young mech like you concerning over the life of a certain femme. Classic boyfriend/girlfriend educate."

Jack turned to him and was a little annoyed about that.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Hey! I'm just worried about her. You know how I am when it comes to my partner taking serious risks. Sometimes, I'm scared of her well being."

Wheeljack approached him and joined in on the talk.

Wheeljack: "Uh huh… Sure you are…"

* * *

As the fight was going on at Sumdac System, a news chopper was flying over Detroit as a news reporter was discussing about traffic jams.

News Reporter: "There appears to be conjunction down on the I-96 as roadwork is blocking off the entire left lane. The wait time down there could be around thirty to forty minutes. I suggest taking the…"

As he was about to finish, he noticed smoke coming from Sumdac's factory and was curious.

News Reporter: "Wait. What is that?"

Starring at the smoke, he decided to divert his attention to that one specific location.

News Reporter: "There appears to be some kind of fire coming from Sumdac's manufacturing facility. We're approaching it right now."

The chopper then turned to the source of the smokes and flew down to it.

* * *

Back to the main battle, the Masterson was piloting the Construction Bot and was ripping everything apart. Arcee was hanging on and had to think of a way getting herself out of that complication. As the destruction continued, the rest of the team watched on and had to think of a way stopping that psychopath. Miko had an idea as she deployed her rockets to fire.

Miko/Kaosu: "That's it! This yahoo is going down!"

Before she could actually do that though, Raf came in and stop her from firing.

Raf/Firewall: "No! Arcee's still up there! You'll hit her if you fire!"

The Wrecking Cadet looked to him and was getting a little pissed off.

Miko/Kaosu: "Well I don't see you coming up with a plan in getting that thing down. If you have any, now's a good time to share."

Raf looked back to the Construction Bot and was drawing a blank as to how to shut it down. Back on the shoulders of the bot, Arcee was getting a little woozy and had it with Masterson's raging streak.

Arcee: "Slag it! This guy simply lost it! Have to find a way in grounding him and fast!"

Looking down to the neckline, she decided to cut the head off now. Using her free servo, she changed it to a blaster and fired with high amount of power to shoot it down. So far, it's working for her as she the metal slowly started to melt.

* * *

In the cockpit, Masterson noticed the damage on the diagnosis and could tell they were trying to shut him down.

Henry Masterson: "Oh, you want to cut my head off? That's unfortunate. I'm just getting started!"

To that, he armed one of his robo arms and decided to remove the femme from him.

* * *

Outside, the femme kept firing and was making some form of progress. But what she didn't know is that the magnet arm was lifting up to her and made a low hum. Arcee could hear that and slowly turned to wonder what's that noise. When she turned to see the magnet, she realized what he was going to do.

Arcee: "Scrap!"

Almost immediately, she was getting pulled in as she was holding on with her blade still latched to Masterson's unit. Still, it wasn't much as the blade detached to the Headmaster and she flew right to the magnet. The moment she got stuck, she was in an awkward pose and couldn't get out. With her trapped, Masterson decided to give her a little lesson in pain. Getting his arm up, he used it to slam her to a building and, letting the concrete and metal damage her armor. Hit after hit, she was getting pounded, as she couldn't get out of it. Back with the others, Jack saw Henry beating the poor femme and was irate.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Arcee! No!"

Upon that reaction, his optics started to glow white as something was growing inside of him. What he didn't know is that his Prime side is reemerging and when his sparkmate was getting hurt, he needs to intervene. Transforming into his Hummer, he sped straight to the danger zone as the others watched on in surprise.

Smokescreen: "Rodimus wait! Don't go down there! It's too dangerous!"

Yet no matter the please of the Elite Guard member, the new Prime didn't listen as he sped straight to the threat. The others watched and were completely worried about him.

Bulkhead: "Oh boy… Optimus and Ratchet aren't going to like this."

* * *

On the other end, Sumdac, his daughter, and Powell watched the battle and realized that it's not good on the Autobot's side.

Professor Sumdac: "Oh dear… This isn't good. The Autobots can't stop Masterson and he's destroying my facility! You didn't tell me that Masterson is a complete lunatic!"

He turned to his friend and wanted answers. Porter saw the battle as well and couldn't believe that this employer was a loon.

Porter C. Powell: "I didn't say that he was crazy. However the other employers said that he was such a tool."

The professor nodded and was getting mad about this.

Professor Sumdac: "Regardless, he's completely insane! He needs to stop before he destroys my entire facility!"

Sari looked on and knew that his father wants him out of the way. Looking around, she spotted a tanker truck loaded with fuel and came up with a plan. Running to the truck, she got to the driver side and took her key out of her back shirt. The professor saw her leaving and figured out what she was doing. Approaching her, he told her to stop immediately.

Professor Sumdac: "Sari, what are you doing? Have you lost it! Get down from there right now!"

But she failed to listen as she placed the key near the socket. Once the end shifted to the right shape, she pushed it into the ignition and turned it to start the engine. As the engine was warmed up, she turned to her father and told him that it was all right.

Sari: "Dad, the team needs a lot of help. And since they have a bit of a predicament, I do believe I have a way in taking this guy down. Excuse me while I do some damage!"

Putting the crank shift to drive, she pressed hard on the gas pedal and made a mad dash to the Construction Bot. As the tanker left, Sumdac rolled his eyes and was defeated.

Professor Sumdac: "Oh Sari, what have I gotten you into."

Porter approached him and pats him on the back.

Porter C. Powell: "Way to go Professor. You're daughter has such role models."

* * *

Back to Masterson, he was using the magnet arm to hit the two-wheeler that was stuck in the metal object. After a couple of hits, he lifted his arm to his face to see what he had done. He could tell that her armor was a little dinged up and there were scratches on her protoform skin as the energon bleeding out a bit. Seeing this, he decided to mock her.

Henry Masterson: "Aw… You don't feel too well… Don't worry, I got just the thing make the pain go away."

Getting his other robotic arm up, he activated his drills as they spin, ready to fire at her. Arcee looked to him with a cold glare, but knew she was going to die. Masterson was about to fire one of the drills to her chest plate, but suddenly and without warning, a quick streak of light appeared through the magnet arm and made a clean cut in a matter of seconds. The young scientist saw this and was shocked at the fact that the something happened as the arm fell off from the body. With the arm disconnected, the magnet was disabled and the femme was free, but falling to the ground. Just then, a lone object whizzed by and snatched the two-wheeler, seconds before the arm fell to the floor and impacted hard, right where she would've landed. Henry looked on and was confused of what just happened.

Henry Masterson: "The Hell…"

The object landed and was in clear view. Turns out it was Rodimus with his visor and mouth guard closed off tight. Arcee squirmed a little and looked up to see her partner concealed and was surprised he saved her.

Arcee: "Rodimus?"

Jack gave a quick nod and looked back to see the Masterson unit turning to him with the Construction Bot's body.

Henry Masterson: "Smooth move noob. But let me remind you that I don't take cheapskates likely. Prepare to be p'owned!"

Getting the drill arm up, the drills started to spin and were launched right to the mech. Rodimus let go of Arcee as she got away, knowing that it was too dangerous for her in her condition. The new Prime immediately transformed and raced straight to his goal as the drills headed straight towards him. With quick precision, he was able avoid the huge projectiles as they dug through the ground. But that was just a start, as Masterson called them back. They immediately rose from the ground and around the former teen. He got shaken a little bit as the last one came out from below him and he flew from the constant debris and swirling drills. Flying in the air, he transformed and landed on his peded with his knee down, looking up to his enemy. Masterson looked to him and was impressed.

Henry Masterson: "Got to say, you've certainly knows how to survive that feat. But let's see if you get a taste of my next move!"

Getting both arms up, he fired both his drill and detonated charges together. Once the two were connected it turned into an incoming missile and flew straight towards him. Getting his feet in position, the new Prime waited for it to come by. Just as it was close enough, and jumped and rolled out of the way seconds before the created missile hit him. The drill like rocket however hit a building and soon exploded part of it. Thankfully, no one is in there, but the damage is completely extensive. Getting back to battle, Rodimus deployed both his energy shield and the Star Saber sword, a weapon that can only be used by the Primes. Seeing the weapons in his possession, Masterson looked on and was enjoying this more and more.

Henry Masterson: "Pulling out the big guns huh? All right then, taste this!"

He then fired one drill detonator after another. Flying straight towards him, the new Prime used his shield to block off half the attack while using his sword to slice the rest in half. Each of these projectiles was hitting the floor, the buildings, and some of the trucks and transportation vehicles. All of which, blew up on impact and destroyed everything in their path. The professor watched on and was completely horrified by what it happening to his place.

Professor Sumdac: "My facility! What are they doing to my facility?!"

Porter looked on and answered his question.

Porter C. Powell: "My guess professor, tearing everything up. Hope you have insurance for all this damage."

Looking at Masterson's creation, Powell was quite intrigued by what he accomplished so far. Perhaps he could make a good enough asset for a certain someone. Back with the Autobots, the team watched the young Prime fight and was shocked at how destructive he was becoming.

Bulkhead: "What's Rodimus think he's doing?! He's supposed to stop that human and protect Sumdac System, not destroy it!"

Raf looked on and could tell that the battle has become extremely aggressive. But watching on, he figured something out.

Raf/Firewall: "I think I know why he's acting like that."

The Wrecker turned to him and was a little confused.

Bulkhead: "You do?"

The hacker turned to him and nodded, explaining about the situation.

Raf/Firewall: "Remember when Rodimus was fighting with the Predacon back at Darkmount? When he was fighting that thing, I think he was fighting it in his Prime state. Those glowing white optics and the hush tone mean that when he's in that mode, he not thinking like himself, but a Prime he's going to be."

Wheeljack: "So why is he triggering it right now against a nut case of a human? He might be loaded, but he's not a potential threat as the Predacon."

Firewall rubbed his chin and think why Jack would activate his Prime mode for a fight like this. But when seeing what happened to Arcee, he came up with a good conclusion.

Raf/Firewall: "Maybe… Maybe this mode would be activated by a certain incident, mainly if he or someone would get hurt. And who's the certain bot that he's close to?"

The group tried to think about that and wonder what the hacker meant by whom the former teen's closest to. But then, they all realized who and say it out loud.

"Arcee!"  
_**(Arcee!)**_

Raf/Firewall: "That's right! Obvious if Arcee gets herself hurt, Rodimus would react and activate the Prime in himself to protect her. And judging by the looks of it, it seems like he's pulling all the stops to save her."

The group then turned to Rodimus as he was using his blasters to continuously firing at the Construction Bot. Watching on, Smokescreen wondered about the length of time of this ability.

Smokescreen: "So… How long do you think this Prime mode of his would last?"

The hacker looked to the battle and wondered about that too.

Raf/Firewall: "Too tell you the truth, I don't really know. Only time will tell."

Back to the main battle, Jack was hitting the enemy with everything he got. With blasters in hand, he continued to shoot at the construction bot. Yet no matter what, it won't do him any good. In order for him to stop this guy, he needs to server the head. Masterson continued the assault as he used the remaining weapons in his disposal to take him down. Getting his wrecking ball up, he swung it down to flatten him completely. Jack quickly rolled out of the way just in time for it to pound the empty spot of ground. Then with the laser cutter, he tried to cut him up to bits. Transforming back, he drove away and avoided the cutter as the pavement got scorched in a long line. Driving back, He spotted a ramp not close by and put pedal to the metal. Reaching maximum overdrive and jumped off the ramp and transformed in the air, arming his sword and flying straight to the head. Masterson though was aware of what he's going to do as he got his crane arm up and launched it straight to the to him. Jack saw this coming and quickly used his sword to cut the crane in two. But that was a mere distraction as Henry fired the wrecking ball and it hit him before he could even react. Rodimus then fell to the ground and hit the pavement, creating a big dent to the floor. Masterson slowly approached him and wasn't quiet amused.

Henry Masterson: "Is that the best you got boy. Is that how you're going to stop me? Sorry kiddo, but here in my world, I win like a boss!"

As he was approaching the down bot, the two of them didn't know that someone else is close by. Right behind the construction bot, Sari is setting everything up to assist the team. The moment she commandeered a tanker truck with the help of her key, got behind and waited for the right moment to go full throttle. During the time, she was watching the battle and saw Jack fighting off Masterson and was getting a little aggressive against him. As she saw Rodimus getting taken down easily, she knew that now is the time to strike back. Getting the crankshaft down, she took a deep breath and was a little hesitant.

Sari: "Okay Sari, hope this works."

Gripping the steering wheel, she pressed hard on the gas pedal and pushed the speedometer to a hundred, speeding right to the battle. Back to the two, Masterson pointed his laser cutter and aimed it right at the former teen's head, wanting to cut it clean.

Henry Masterson: "Well, it's been fun kiddo, but I have bigger fish to fry. Sayonara!"

He was about to fire when he heard a honk coming from a huge truck. Turning his Headmaster Unit around, he saw Sari driving the tanker and wasn't amused.

Henry Masterson: "Ramming me over? Is that all you got? Don't make me laugh!"

Getting his cutter up, he started to shoot fames right at the vehicle, hoping to rip it apart. Sari saw this in the driver seat and decided to get out while she can.

Sari: "Not good…"

Opening the door, she immediately jumped out of the truck rolled to safety. Seconds later, the entire truck was hit and engulfed in flames while it was still driving to him. The scientist looked on and was glad that he had taken care of that. But then, he noticed that this wasn't a robot truck. Instead, he saw a tanker loaded with fuel and was on fire. Big mistake.

Henry Masterson: "Oh crap…"

Before he could even do anything, the tanker hit his foot and the force of it ripped his leg and blew it to pieces. The Construction bot started to stumble and immediately fell to the floor as Henry was going for a ride.

Henry Masterson: "Oh shit!"

He landed hard on the ground and was wounded at the moment. Rodimus managed to get up and watched the enemy fall to the ground. With him down, it gave the Prime the opening he needed. Transforming to his Hummer, he sped straight to his target and was ready to deliver the final blow. Masterson looked up with the Headmaster Unit as saw the young mech speeding to him.

Henry Masterson: "No! NO! Get away from me!"

Getting his wrecking ball arm up, he fired it to push him away. Making a quick drift, the new Prime transformed and skidded to his feet, using his sword to cut the wrecking ball right to the side and was split in two. In a panic, Henry then used the remainder of his crane to swing it and knock him off his feet. Yet, Jack jumped high into the air and avoided the attack with such grace before landing to the ground and was running to him. Getting close, Masterson decided it was all or nothing as he pulled out his last weapon and fired his plasma cutter. That was all too late as Rodimus jumped high into the air and avoided the shot. Getting in position high in the air, his Star Saber sword glowed white and he flew down to reach the scientist. In a matter of seconds, he performed one quick swipe through the neckline and landed on the ground with his feet in a kneeling position. The entire area went quiet in a few seconds until the neckline started to spark and electricity came out of it. Suddenly, the head fell off the shoulders of the construction bot and rolled away from it as the body went limp and offline itself completely. Getting up, he approached the Headmaster Unit and was waiting for someone to come out. That is when the door to the side opened up and Masterson stumbled down and was a little dizzy from the last attack. Looking up, he saw the new Prime pointing his sword towards him and was incredibly intimidating. The only thing he could do was gave a nervous laugh and a quick remark.

Henry Masterson: "Hey now. Let's be reasonable. You don't want to hurt an unarmed man when he's down, do you?"

The new Prime remained silent and didn't want to say a word. But then strangely, his sword and optics dimmed and he started to feel all wobbly. That's when he slanted down and started to fall to the ground in a loud thud and was in stasis, marking that he used up all of his energy like the last time. Henry stood there and was a little bewildered by the whole experience that he too passed out and laid there on the floor. Once the battle was over, the team and the Sumdacs approached the down Rodimus and was surprised about what just happened. Wheeljack was the first to ask about it.

Wheeljack: "Um… Can anyone explain to me what just happened?"

Raf took a closer look at the new Prime and figured something out.

Raf/Firewall: "Looks like he used up all his energy to fight off the bot just like what happened with the Predacon. Guess it must've been a failsafe when he gets spent and converse his energy when he's in stasis. Makes some kind of sense since he's used it a lot to take on anything that would threaten him or someone else."

Arcee though looked to her sparkmate and was amazed by how brave he had become.

Arcee: "And to think, he fought him to protect me. I never really thought he could do that for me."

Smoke smirked and gave off quite a chuckle.

Smokescreen: "Well, what can we tell you? Love makes you do crazy things, especially when you're a Prime."

Bulkhead then look to the huge mess all around the facility and was speechless by the aftermath.

Bulkhead: "Got to say though, that Construction Bot and Rodimus certainly work this place over. This is almost like Cybertron all over again."

He then turned to the Professor and apologized.

Bulkhead: "Sorry about your place professor. Didn't think it would go down this ugly this fast. I hope you are insured."

Sumdac looked to this mess and gave a deep sigh.

Professor Sumdac: "I suppose you're right. Giving the damage these two have caused, it's a miracle that everyone had evacuated and the placed hadn't gone through worse. But I suppose I'll have find a way in repairing most of the damage."

He then look to an unconscious Masterson and had a sour look on his face.

Professor Sumdac: "As far as Mr. Masterson goes, I do believe his work is too much even for Sumdac Systems to handle. I will see to it that his employment as my company will be terminated and will have him behind bars once he wakes up. I cannot have someone like him ruining my facility."

As soon as he said that, the team overheard the sound of fluttering up in the sky. Looking up, Miko soon realized what it was.

Miko/Kaosu: "Uh, guys? Don't look now, but I think we're being watched."

The group looked up and notice a news chopper flying overhead. On this chopper, the news reporter witnessed it while the cameraman was recording it all.

News Reporter: "Whoa! Are you getting this? This is headline news here!"

Seeing this, the team knew they were found.

Smokescreen: "Looks like the tour is over. We should get going."

Cee nodded in agreement as they heard sirens at a distance. Looking ahead, she saw police cars and fire trucks approaching them.

Arcee: "Good idea."

Activating her comm. she contact Ratchet

Arcee: "Ratchet, this is Arcee. The tour in Sumdac's factory didn't go the way we planned. I'm injured and we have a sleeping Prime. Requesting for an immediate ground bridge. I'll explain everything when we're in."

As soon as she said that, the green portal opened up to let them through. As Bee and Smoke picked the sleeping Jack up to take him in, the femme looked to the professor and promised him one thing.

Arcee: "We have eyewitnesses in the sky that could lead to you. Think you can keep this a secret and not tell anyone in your involvement?"

The Professor nodded and told her that he got it.

Professor Sumdac: "Do not worry; I'll keep your secret safe. Just go and get yourself hidden until the heat is off."

Nodding in approval, the rest of the team made it through as the portal closed. With them gone, Sumdac turned to the cops nearing them and waited. But then, Sari looked around and notices that someone else is missing.

Sari: "Hey, where is Powell? I don't see him anywhere."

The professor looked on and was a little confused as well.

Professor Sumdac: "Don't know. He must've got separated during the scuffle."

As the officers approached the two, Porter was at a distance watching the whole thing. Seeing the aftermath, he decided to place an important call. Once took out his cell and dialed a private number, he placed it in his ear and talk a certain someone.

Porter C. Powell: "Yes it's me. I think I found the replacement you're looking for."

* * *

**Yep, bet you can guess who's Powell is talking to. So that concluded chapter three of Headmaster. It's a bit longer then anticipated. But at least I could give you a taste of what's bound to happen next. I hope all of you enjoyed it. The next few chapters will be short ones into another battle that will take place in another long one. Stand by and you'll see what I mean. Please Review.**


	4. MECH

**Before I could start with chapter four, I need to share something to you that's Transformers related. So how many of you are fans of Angry Birds? Anyone? Well I got the apps for my I-Pad and I enjoy it. But I rarely have the time in playing them since I have other stuff to do. But then, they released this new Angry Birds game that involves the Transformers. At first I thought it's going to be the same mechanic that involves flinging birds with a slingshot and making sure the shots are accurate to take down the green pigs. But when I turned on the game for the first time, I was wrong all the way through. Turns out, it was pretty much a scrolling shooter, hitting the desire targets to either destroy the pigs or hit the objects that they are standing on. Plus they have a peripheral of characters the birds portray as, such as Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Jazz, and Heatwave. You can also play as Decepticons, who are the pigs, and use power weapons in their arsenal. Do I have a few complaints? Maybe… Sometimes, whatever you want to target isn't what you intended, as demonstrated when I was going to target some TNT boxes only to get nothing but concrete. And although they have a plethora of characters, most of them have the same skins but with different and powerful weapons. I mean seriously, Optimus and Ultra Magnus looked the same but with different colors, Soundwave and Blastwave have the same weapons except Blast has three projectiles hitting at the same time, and Heatwave and Sentinel Prime still has the same red color, so it's a little hard figuring out which one is which unless you fire your weapon. Other then that, this is quite a fun game and a big recommendation for Angry Birds and Transformers fans. If anyone is interested, you can download the game from your tablet or phone and it's free to use. I promise, you will enjoy it completely.**

**Now let's get back to the main story. Last chapter seems like a slow one. So far, I got seven reviews and 772 hits. Not as big as the other episodes, but at least I have people reading it. I suppose it has something to do with my switching between stories that's driving people off. But whatever, it's something I need to do just so I can finish with John and Elsa before Episode 4. You guys better bare with me since this is going to be a complex strategy. In this chapter of Headmaster, Optimus begins Jack's training after what happened in Sumdac Systems while Arcee is concerned about her spark mate. Meanwhile, evil forces are at play as a certain individual is interested in a certain young scientist.**

**Chapter Notes**

**I'm going to add a little scene that came straight from the movie, Iron Man 2. I'm certain that when you read it, you will know what I mean. Also, I took a World Geography class in the fall semester and there was an essay I did regarding Herman Cortez and his rule of the Aztec Empire. Seeing this and MECH, I think there are similar in a way. If none of you don't have a clue, you're welcome to look him up on Google. Long story short, it's about defeating the enemy with the most advance of weapons.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Prime**

* * *

Chapter Four: MECH

Hours after the debacle in Sumdac System's manufacturing facility, the team gathered together in the main communication center and was watching what had happened recently. They saw that the chopper they've witnessed was watching the whole time and viewed the whole fight between Rodimus and the Headmaster Unit operating the Construction Bot. Watching on, they could tell that Jack was using his Prime mode to battle the Unit after it hurt Arcee. During the time, Godfrey was on the voice overing the image.

Gordon Godfrey: _"Take a good look ladies and gentlemen. An actual live footage of the fight between this Autobot and this unknown robot that attacked Sumdac System's facility. It would seem that this Autobot used some sort of powerful magic to take the head off the bot. And the worse part of it all is that not only the destroyed part of Sumdac's facility, but there was a person inside this robot, an innocent civilian to be exact."_

The live feed decreased to the right corner as Godfrey was standing next to the scene and continued his banter.

Gordon Godfrey: _"Now for all of you who think that these goody two shoe aliens are here to protect us from the bad ones. But let me ask you all a simple question. Do you want to trust them now after what they have done with the manufacturing facility in Sumdac System? Do you? It's a miracle that there were no human casualties, but seeing this human in that head, no matter what he had done, he doesn't deserve to die. I'm demanding you to listen to me for once; we cannot let these aliens on our planet and causing more damage then the ones that attacked Jasper. They are rambunctious and dangerous and is a serious threat to the people of Earth. Something must be done! We must act now and push the government in forcing these aliens, these Autobots, to leave this planet, never to return again."_

The video immediately paused, as he was finished with his proclamation. At the same time, Agent Fowler appeared on the vid window next to the other window and was irate over this.

Agent Fowler: _"What in the name of George Washington's axe happened out there?! I can fully understand that this was meant to be a simple break from you're survival at Darkmount, but this is ridiculous! How could a simple trip end like this?!"_

The team looked to each other and didn't know what to say. With Optimus not present at the time of the attack and Ratchet within the base, it's complicated to explain about the situation. Finally, Wheeljack stepped in and explain to the former Army Ranger on what happened.

Wheeljack: "Listen Tiny, none of us didn't expect that to happen in a long time. This punk kid decided to go all Constructicon on us and-"

Agent Fowler: _"I don't care who caused this mess! What you need to know is that you were fighting against a crazy loon in a public area. A public area! Where there are eyewitnesses within the area, watching the battle from afar. It was a miracle that civilians weren't in the way otherwise there would've been more casualties in the list of people we've lost in this Great War."_

Bulkhead then stepped in and asked about what happened with Masterson.

Bulkhead: "What about the kid? What's going to happen to him?"

Fowler remained silent and told him what you happen to the kid.

Agent Fowler: _"He's being taken to a correctional facility to help fix his little obsession over Sumdac that led to that destruction. However, I got a bad feeling that he's going to get fired for the stunt he had pulled. As for his Headmaster Unit, it's being taken to the police impound and then taken to the scrap yard. That thing is too dangerous for anyone to use. But then there's the concern of the damage that you all have caused within Sumdac's factory. Can you imagine how much damage it will cost the government in repairing?"_

Kaosu heard this and approached the screen to explain what really happened.

Miko/Kaosu: "Um… Hate to split wires, but it was this Masterson guy that did the destroying. Not us."

Agent Fowler: _"Doesn't matter. This kid started this mess, one of you have ended it. One of your recruits went a wall and was showing no mercy to this guy. This resulting in the destruction of most of the buildings and million of dollars in damages. I want to speak to this kid right now! Where is he?"_

The team looked back to Jack and he was sleeping peacefully on the medical berth as he was recharging after attacking the Headmaster Unit in his Prime state. Knowing that he couldn't speak yet, Arcee, who was patched up from getting injured by Masterson's wrath, decided to step in and spoke on his behalf.

Arcee: "Forgive us Fowler, but Jack is a little out after his fight. He won't be talking for a while. But I would explain what happened on his behalf. As for why he did that, he saw me heavily injured and act on his own accord to protect me. Though I never thought that he would use his Prime mode to look after me. Other then that, he did save my life and I'm grateful for it."

Fowler looked to the femme and could tell by her optics that she was telling the truth. Still, he was concerned about that would happen next.

Agent Fowler: _"Okay… I can understand that he was trying to keep you safe. But this is a dangerous situation we're in now. With the public on edge about you guys and the Cons, the government is getting concern that Godfrey is going to make this situation worse then it is. Which is why the higher ups have asked me to come to his show and do a little damage control."_

Smokescreen heard this and was a little weary about this news anchor.

Smokescreen: "Are you sure it's a good idea to go on this show? I heard this Godfrey guy is a real pain in the aft. But after seeing him work, I never thought he could be a serious problem for us."

Agent Fowler: _"Can you blame him? This guy is very popular when it comes taking blame on the government from wars to recession. But this alien invasion? This might help him win the Pullets Award under your expanse. This is something most of my superiors don't want to happen. I have to come down that show and ease the public that you guys were protecting the innocent and not destroy them. I'm just hoping that Godfrey doesn't pull a fast one on me. Now if you excuse me, I need to prepare myself while the top offices makes some calls to the studio. Meanwhile, I want all of you to remain in the base until the heat is off. Last thing I want is you guys going around town while the citizens go on a panic frenzy. Fowler, out."_

As soon as the screen went static and both windows closed, Ratchet immediately turned to the group and was annoyed about what transpired.

Ratchet: "What in the All Spark was wrong with all of you?! This was suppose to be a simple field trip. Instead, this turned into an all out war! Care to explain to me what really happened?"

The team looked to Ratchet as they could tell that he was a little pissed. Arcee though stepped in and explained about the situation.

Arcee: "Indeed it was suppose to be a trip after what we've all been through. But what this kid did, sort of ruined it all for us."

The medic turned to the femme and rephrase what he was saying.

Ratchet: "That's not what I meant. What I was saying is why did Jack activate his Prime mode again?! I respect that he used it to save our afts from that Predacon. But this? This has gone too far! That was a human piloting a bot that pose no threat, not Megatron."

Wheeljack looked to the doctor and told him that wasn't the case.

Wheeljack: "He's not Megatron? Doc, what we have seen, he would pretty much count as Megatron. Let alone Devestator by the size of it. Besides, if it wasn't for the kid, we've would've been terminated to begin with."

Arcee: "Yeah. Plus he saved my life! He has every quality in becoming that of a Prime."

June was at her son's side as he was still sleeping from the previous attack. Hearing all of this, she turned to her and decided to intervene.

June/Altra: "I hate to say this Arcee, but Ratchet has a point. Seeing my son in this condition worries me, as both a nurse and a mother."

Arcee turned to the nurse and was shocked to hear that she's agreeing with Ratch.

Arcee: "You're on his side June? But-"

Altra turned to her and stopped her before she could even finish with what she was going to say.

June/Altra: "But nothing Arcee. My son has already gone through this Prime state twice already and all that fighting drains his energy. I concern that the more he uses this ability, the harder it is for him to wake up. I don't know if this time he's not going to come out of his sleepful state.

Just as the argument was going on, Optimus listened to both opinions and knew that something had to be done. Knowing that he has heard enough, he demanded silence in a loud, booming voice.

Optimus Prime: "Enough!"

The group stopped talking and turned to the Prime that was sitting on the Cybertronian wheelchair. Looking to the team, he decided to come to a conclusion and explained what he thought.

Optimus Prime: "After listening to your opinions I've come to a decision. Indeed Jackson now possesses the Matrix of Leadership within his own spark chamber, choosing him to be the next Prime. Though he now has the ability in becoming a Prime, he is still too young and inexperience to take up the banner when I go. Therefore, I do believe it's time for him to begin his training."

The team remained silent and was shocked to know that he would begin Rodimus's training. Ratchet quickly stepped forward, trying to stop him from beginning his teachings.

Ratchet: "Optimus, you can't be serious. You are still recovering from her injuries during your capture. You're in no condition in training the kid, let alone yourself."

The leader turned to his friend and explained to him about his mantel.

Optimus Prime: "Being a Prime is more then just combat, old friend. If he's going to be the future leader, he needs to understand the responsibilities, the knowledge, the sacrifice, and the bravery of one. That's what being a Prime is all about. I will teach him in the way of the Primes and I'll be certain that he will learn from my teachings."

The group listened and understood what he means. In order for Jack to become a Prime, he needs to be taught about those principles. However, there was one Autobot that didn't like the sound of that. That bot was Arcee. She looked to her leader with a stern look and argued about that.

Arcee: "So that's it? That's what you're planning to do? Turn Jack into you?"

Prime and Ratchet turned to the femme and could tell that she was completely confused.

Ratchet: "That's not what Optimus meant, Arcee. What he's trying to say is that Jack needs to learn some self control, otherwise he would grow rampant on his Prime ability."

Cee raised an optic ridge and was a little unsure about that.

Arcee: "Really? Cause the way it sounded, it's almost like you want to turn him into a, and no disrespect to the Primes, an emotionless soldier that focuses more on leadership then his own friends."

Ratchet was about to argue back until Optimus lifted his servo and told him that he got it. Looking to the femme, the Prime explained it further.

Optimus Prime: "I understand you are concerned about Jackson. But he needs to be taught in the way of the Primes, now that he has part of the Matrix of Leadership deep in his spark. Because of that, he must learn how to adapt to this new life he possess. You should realize this since you two have a connection."

That's when the two-wheeler decided to give him her two cents after hearing that last sentence.

Arcee: "Yeah. That's right. Jack and I have a connection. It is the same that you had with my sister. Or have you forgotten about that?"

Optimus was in complete silence as he could tell where she was going with that.

Optimus Prime: "Arcee, please don't bring back the past. You know why I have to leave Elita-One."

Arcee: "Yeah, I know why. And I also know how you treated her. My sister cared about you, she loved you. The two of you were meant to be an item. But the moment you took that mantel, you've distant yourself from her. You left her to the curb Optimus. You broke my sister's spark, just so you can play the leader!"

Now Optimus had enough of this as he turned to her and explained why he did what he did.

Optimus Prime: "What I did was to protect her. If Megatron found out about my relationship with Elita-One, then he would hunt her down and turn her into my weakness. Worse yet, she would've been terminated if he discovered that secret. Which is why we needed to separate. I cannot let her get hurt, knowing that Megatron is still online. It's for the best."

Arcee was shocked about that and had a sour look to her face.

Arcee: "For the best huh? I see… So you want Jack to forget about me. I understand…"

Everyone was quiet as they could see the argument going on between the leader and the lieutenant. As the talk went on, they could all hear a groan coming from the recovery table. Turning to that direction, they could see Rodimus starting to stir and was coming to. June could see her son waking up and quickly approached his side.

June/Altra: "Jack!"

Getting to him, she checked to see if he's fine. Opening his optics, he could see his mother looking to him with a worried expression, as she was relieved a little bit.

June/Altra: "Oh Jack. Are you okay? Can you move?"

Jack turned to his mother and could tell that she wanted to know if he could get around. Slowly sitting up, he groaned and his joints felt completely stiff. Stretching a little, he turned to his mother and told her he's fine.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Don't worry mom; I'll manage. What happened? Why am I back at the base? Did we win?"

The others soon joined in and Miko explained what happened.

Miko/Kaosu: "Dude! Are you serious?! You went all Prime on that Construction Bot and showed that punk no mercy. That was awesome! Don't tell me you don't remember that?"

The new Prime scratched the back of his helm and was a little confused about that.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "No… All I remember was that huge bot wreaking havoc all over the place. Then he took Arcee and pummeled her through buildings like nobody's business. Then I got all angry and… Nothing… The rest was pretty much a blank from there."

Ratchet listened to that and rubbed his chin, coming up with a really good conclusion.

Ratchet: "It would seem that you're mind went blank the moment you entered your Prime state. So basically your body was on autopilot the moment you activated that mode. It seems like the same thing that happened to you when you were facing the Predacon the moment you've inserted the Key of Vector Sigma into your chest plate. It's obvious that it was a little side effect."

Jack looked to the doctor and was surprised by that. Yet he remained calm and tried to process that information.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Guess that makes sense. I mean, I'm just starting off as a Prime, which could explain why I don't remember much of the fights during that time."

Optimus moved the wheelchair to the former teen's side and explained about this issue he has.

Optimus Prime: "Understand Jack that this new power you've possessed is difficult to control. You need to be responsible with this ability, for if you don't it could lead to some serious consequences. That is why I've decided to begin your training post haste. Though I'm not fully recovered for some actual combat, I will teach you the ways of the Prime. It will be a long journey, but I know that in time, you will become what you are destined to be."

Jack turned to Optimus and was shocked to know that Optimus will start teaching him right away and show him what it means to be a Prime. All the while, Arcee watched on and didn't like where this was going. She's going to loose Jack just like how Elita lost Optimus. Giving a deep sigh, she decided that she needed some privacy and was leaving the command center. Jack looked up to see her leave and was a little confused.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Arcee? Where are you going?"

The femme stopped midway and turned to him and little bit, saying something that was a little depressed.

Arcee: "You heard our glorious leader. You need to start training. I don't think you won't have anytime with me soon."

To that, she walked away and headed to the quarters. Jack looked on and didn't know what to think. At first, he thought that she was still recovering, but then after hearing the sound of her voice it almost sounded too hurtful.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Arcee…"

Ratchet shook his head and decided to ease him through.

Ratchet: "Don't mind her. She needs some time to herself. Now we should start with your training young Prime."

As all of this was going on, Raf watched the whole thing and couldn't help but to feel sorry for Cee. Ever since Wheeljack told him what happened with Elita-One, it's almost like the same thing all over again with the two-wheeler. Giving a deep sigh, he decided to speak to her and try to reason with her. Leaving the group, he perused the femme and hope that he gets to her before she heads to her room.

* * *

In the quarter's hallway, Arcee was slowly walking to her own room, feeling a little defeated. Dragging pointed metal toes on the floor; she couldn't believe how much has changed. One moment, the team was on a simple trip, the next, an attack from the Headmaster Unit that destroyed part of the Sumdac Systems. And due to the Rodimus's Prime mode that caused more problems, Optimus had no choice but to train him in the way of the Prime. Due to that, she can't go out with him anytime soon because of his teachings. She knows that the leadership of the Prime could lead to sacrifices, and that includes love between him and her. She knew that Optimus server his relationship with her sister, Elita-One, during the War on Cybertron. Now this happens, and it sickens her to her very spark. She then approached the door to her room and it opened up for her. Just as she was about get in, she heard the voice from behind her.

Raf/Firewall: "Arcee, wait!"

She stopped and turned behind her to see Raf standing there with a look of concern.

Raf/Firewall: "Are you all right? You seem a little out of it."

The femme gave off a deep sigh and decided to keep this a secret.

Arcee: "I'm fine Raf, I need some time for myself. Just need to clear my head from what transpired today."

The hacker looked to her and could tell that she's holding back.

Raf/Firewall: "Stop lying to me Arcee. I know what's going on. This has something to do with Jack and you, is it?"

She remained silent and didn't know how to say this. Knowing what she was keeping, he decided to tell her and he heard.

Raf/Firewall: "Wheeljack told me about what happened with Optimus and your sister, Elita. I can imagine how hard it felt loosing the person you cherished over some destiny. But please understand that you can't be upset about this. Jack is still young, and although he's chosen to be the next Prime, he still has a long ways to go. Optimus knows that. Just give him a chance to see this minor error and maybe-"

It was then that Arcee snapped and told the young mech of the situation she's in right now.

Arcee: "No! You don't get it Raf! Jack and I, we were close since day one. Sure we got off on a rocky start, but at least we grew our relationship between each other. And then when he admitted his feelings towards me in Darkmount, I thought for certain that we were meant to be together. But now this happens and since I heard what Prime is planning to do to him, I… I don't know if our relationship would last forever."

Firewall turned his head away and could tell that she was extremely upset. And who could blame her? She thinks she's going to loose Jack just like how Elita lost Optimus of his duties. He knew that wasn't true as Jack is too young to learn yet and she needed time to give Optimus a chance in understanding it.

Raf/Firewall: "Just give Optimus time. I'm certain that he would soon realize that Jack needs to have a normal life, no matter how important being a Prime is."

The femme remained quiet and slowly walked into her room. As soon as she was in, she turned back to him and responded with a sorrow expression.

Arcee: "I'm afraid time is against me on this one Raf. No matter what the outcome, I'm going to be just like Elita, spark broken."

To that end, the door closed off completely and Raf looked at nothing but a metal surface. But standing there, he could hear the Cybertronian equivalent of weeping. Sighing to himself, he knew that it was going to be a while until things can get back to normal for Jack and Arcee. Walking away, he decided to leave this alone and have the two work things out. What any of them didn't know is something bad is about to happen.

* * *

Down the highway away from Detroit, a prison bus loaded with prisoners were heading to a correctional facility. Inside the bus, a lot of criminals, young and old, were sitting in their seats, waiting for the ride to end. In the back, Masterson was sitting and looking at the window, completely bewildered by what happened. At first, his little test run with his Headmaster Unit would convince Professor Sumdac in passing his work off. Then everything went out of control. First the arrival of the alien bots that attacked him, then the one bot that went psycho on him. But then the worse part is the distraction that wounded the robot body and let the bot with a huge sword to cut off his head. This was the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to him. Even worse, the moment he came to from his shocking experience, he found out that he was arrested for destruction of property and arson. Not only that, but he was fired from his dream job because of the mess he did. He was completely upset about this and wants to get his revenge on not only Sumdac, but also the Autobots. One of the guards walked to the kid and starred him down.

Security Guard: "So, you're the one that wreaked havoc across Sumdac's. Got some balls in doing something as rash as that. To bad that was your first and last little joyride. Hope you enjoy your life in prison, cause you're going to be there for a while."

Masterson looked up to the guard and gave him a deep glare. The guard gave a quick chuckle and walked away to check on the other captors. As he left, Masterson lowered his head down and was angry about what happened.

Henry Masterson: "Stupid, stupid alien robots. Cost me my work, my job, my entire livelihood. I swear, when I get out, there's going to be Hell to pay. The bots, Sumdac, they will all pay for what they did to me."

As he was thinking of revenge, he nor anyone else didn't know what something was coming. Outside the bus, it was a quiet time on the freeway as it was driving down to the prison. Just then, a small group of green supped up sports cars came from behind the bus and made a steady pace to it. Once they approached the bus they started to split in between and surround it. The prisoners and the guard looked at that and were a bit curious.

Security Guard: "The Hell…"

Getting to the front of the bus he saw three sets of cars in a line, blocking the bus's path. Staring on, he wondered about those cars.

Security Guard: "What in the world is up with these cars?"

Just as he said that, the car in the middle sped up ahead and made a quick 180. Suddenly the car went full throttle and was about to collide. But as it was reaching midway, it immediately transformed into a full size robot, skidding on the concrete. The guard saw all this and was in a blind panic.

Security Guard: "Holy shit! What is that thing!?"

The bus driver saw this too and applied the breaks as quickly as possible to make an immediate stop, forcing the prisoners to push forward. The huge bot then raised his fist up and once he was close to the bus, slammed hard on the front of it, destroying the engine. The force of the blast pushed the bus up in a diagonal form and flew high in the air. The bus flew high over the bot and in slow motion was flipping around. Once it landed on the other side, it hit the top part of the roof and had the wheels in the air. All the other cars made a stop around the bus and the doors opened up. There, multiple soldiers with masks covering their heads and high tech rifles surround the bus and waited for something to happen. In the bus, everyone was knocked out and scattered on the ceiling. Masterson however regained his consciousness as he was looking around at the chaos. Knowing that the guard was out, he knew that it was his time in escaping. Crawling to the back door and with his cuffs still held on to his wrist, he used his leg strength to kick the door down. After a couple of attempts, the door got knocked off its hinges and landed on the concrete. Knowing that he's out, he climbed out the open hole and took a breath of fresh air. But just as the got up and would race to victory, he saw soldiers he'd never seen before pointing their weapons at him. One of them approaches the young scientist, as he looked at them in pure fear and confusion. Seeing this, he turned to the others and told them what they were looking for.

MECH Soldier 1: "That's him! That's the guy we're searching for. Bring him to the Director, he wishes to speak to him."

Turning back to Masterson, he looked on and didn't know what they have planned for him. Turning the rifle to the butted end, he hit him in the head and he was knocked down for the count.

* * *

Darkness… That's all Masterson could see, nothing but darkness. As if getting beaten by these alien bots was bad enough, he got attacked by these strange men in masks. The prison bus got wrecked by something big and one of the soldiers knocked him out. Now he has no idea where he was or what's happening. Suddenly, he could hear some music, faded at first, but then getting louder. And by the sound of it, it was some form of classical music, like a symphony of some kind. But then, he heard voices in front of him, two of them.

Commander Rourke: "This is the replacement we needed for your project? Seems a little too young to help us. At least Sumdac is more experienced in his work. This kid might not be able to attend to our tasks."

Director: "True commander. But looking into his personal file, he is quite the intelligent man. Plus he has experience in robotics just like the professor. He will make an excellent candidate to the cause."

Masterson was a bit confused as to what he was hearing. Who are these people? What do they want with him? And how do they know about Sumdac? He then started to groan as his vision returned, only to see a sight obscured by a bag over his head. One of the soldiers nearby heard it and told the commander about it.

MECH Soldier 2: "Sir, the kid's waking up."

Masterson couldn't see anything, but could hear this commander giving out orders.

Commander Rourke: "Well, what are you waiting for? Remove the bag from his head!"

As soon as he heard that, the bag was removed from his head and he see everything clearly. What he was seeing is that they were sitting at a table filled with food for the rich. And in front of him were two individuals. The one with glasses and was a little shadowy in the face was sitting on the opposite end of the table while the other that was big a burly and standing next to him. He was a little confused about this and wondered where he was this time. The person sitting looked on and said hello to the young scientist in his southern voice.

Director: "Henry Masterson. So nice to finally meet you face to face. First of all allow me to apologize on what happened out there a while ago. You got to understand that sometimes a rescue could get a little extreme. But all and all, it was successful and here you are, free from the tyranny from the law. But enough of the accomplishment, I do believe you need something to eat after your experience. We got a Main Lobster Salad with Hawaiian Hearts of Palm, romaine lettuce and a timut pepper-red gelée for the appetizer and Duo of Beef Wagyu with a tenderloin, rutabaga, and lack trumpets on one end and a black angus short ribs, lentils, and horseradishes on the other. I also have some Pisoni Pinot Noir for you to drink. It's vintage 2001, good year too. Men, can you please remove the cuffs off of him? The poor man can't eat with those things on."

The two soldiers approached him as one was holding a picklock device. The other solder held him down by the shoulders incase he does anything funny while the first one inserted the device to the keyhole and begins his work. Masterson looked to all of this and finds it all strange from the very start. Once the cuffs were off, the two walked away as the young scientist felt his wrists for a while. Though he's free, he's still confused by what is going on. Looking to the Director, he decided to ask some questions.

Henry Masterson: "What the hell is going on around here? Who are you people?"

The Director sat back and could tell that he wanted answers. Sighing to himself, he decided to answer any questions he has.

Director: "Oh, I'm sorry… Guess I jumped to conclusions here. You can refer to me as the Director. I'm head of MECH's science division. This individual beside me is Commander Rourke, my right hand man. You are here because one of the board members told me about you. And after what I've seen in the news recently and how you fought the Autobots, you're skills is all we need to continue with our vision."

Masterson looked on and was a little confused.

Henry Masterson: "MECH? Our vision? What the Hell are you talking about?"

The head scientist looked to him and explained what he was talking about.

Director: "Let me give you a bit of a history lesson. In the year 1518, a Spanish explorer by the name of Herman Cortez made the dangerous journey through Central America for one goal, to conquer the Aztec empire. Now the Aztecs was led by a great leader in Montezuma and they have become a dominating empire, forcing the lower tribes into laborers and usually take prisoners as sacrifices to their God. Their military though is a little… old fashioned. They were brave warriors and came from a line of hunters and gathering parties. Their weaponry were primitive, mostly made out of stone, spears, and shields and rely solely on magic as it were. But Cortez, he had a strong advantage against the Aztec tribe. He had the most advance of weaponry containing swords, cannons, muskets, and crossbows, technology that the ancient tribes have never encountered. He also had armor to protect them from close combat, a female interpreter to help make alliances to other tribes, dogs and horses to give the natives a quick scare, and a disease of small pox to wipe them out. Within the course of two years, the Conquistadors defeated the Aztecs and conquered Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital city."

Masterson listened to this and was getting a little bored.

Henry Masterson: "Sorry Director, but you lost me in all of this. What are you trying to say to me?"

The Director looked to him and started to shorten his story.

Director: "What I'm trying to say Masterson is that MECH is like Cortez and the Conquistadors. In order to defeat our enemies, we must use the most advance weaponry to achieve victory. And trust me when I say this, we have enemies around the world. The corrupted governments, the military, the greedy stock holders, even the aliens robots that came to this world and made their presence felt in Nevada. It's such a shame really. Doesn't matter though, with the weapons we've now possess, nothing can stop us. But I do need a scientist by my side in helping with one of my grand projects. You, Mr. Masterson, fits the bill in my work."

Masterson looked to him and was surprised by what he was talking about. This industry, this MECH, seems like a perfect opportunity to restart his life and possibly get his revenge. But one thing came to his mind as he heard the professor's name. So looking to him, he asked about that.

Henry Masterson: "I heard from you the two of you that you know about Sumdac. Mind telling me about that?"

The Director and commander looked to each other and could tell that he needed an explanation about that. The Director looked to him and answered his question.

Director: "Mr. Sumdac was working for us a while ago and worked on a previous project of mine. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, he left the organization and didn't want to be a part of it. That of course left a hole in my division. But since you're here, that gap was filled and we can continue with the work. Why ask such a question?"

Masterson turned away and explained why he asked about that.

Henry Masterson: "I use to work for him. He was an idol to me. Got a sweet gig and everything. Living the high life I was. Then these stupid Autobots showed up and it cost me everything! I lost my job, my livelihood, even the person I cherished the most, betrayed me and kicked me out. All of this because of these god damn aliens! I want to pay them back for what they did to me. The Autobots, Sumdac, everyone. They will all pay."

The Director looked to him and could tell that he got what he wanted.

Director: "So, you're agreeing in joining MECH. Didn't think we could sway you in that fast. But vengeance could make a person go mad with envy. Perhaps I found the perfect replacement."

Masterson then lean forward to him and decided to make a few quick offers.

Henry Masterson: "Whoa, whoa… Let's not jump the gun four eyes. If I'm going to join this little clubhouse of yours, I want to join under a few conditions."

The Director looked to him and could tell that he was starting to make some offers. Normally, he wouldn't make deals, but giving the situation he's in, he should follow his advice.

Director: "Very well. What is it you want?"

Grabbing the glass of wine from the table, Masterson started to make some demands.

Henry Masterson: "First of all, I would like to have my own lab and full access to any files you have, just so I can see what I'm working with. Secondly, I would need my Headmaster Unit back so I can continue with my own research. No exception…"

The Director listened in and nodded in agreement.

Director: "But of course. We'll provide you with a lab in our facility where you can assist on our research, if not your own. As for your Headmaster Unit, my men are retrieving it from the impound in Detroit to take it straight to you. I'm hoping that if could be of some use in many ways."

Masterson nodded and liked what he was hearing. Still, there's one more thing he needed to clear up.

Henry Masterson: "Lastly, I would need a code name of my own since, you know, you and your Commander Serious here have them."

The head scientist raised an eyebrow and was a bit confused.

Director: "Code names?"

As the two were completely silent, the Director gave a deep sigh decided to give him that.

Director: "Very well… What codename do you want to give yourself?"

Masterson though long and hard on a codename of his own. But when he thought of his work, he smirked sinisterly and turned to the leader with an eager look in his eyes.

Henry Masterson: "Headmaster… You can call me Headmaster."

* * *

**Oh yeah, this is getting interesting. Sorry if this story is a little short. It seems like it needs to be shortened to what I have in store for the rest of the story. Though this might not look it, it would seem that this story will be shorter then others. But it depends as of how long this will take with all the other stuff that I'm doing. We'll see though… We'll see… Now for the next chapter, Fowler gets on Godfrey's show to ease some tension while the Director shows Masterson (Headmaster) around and encountered a particular bot that was scrapped. I bet you can't guess on who this will be? Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year. Please Review.**


	5. Attinger

**Okay, I want to start clarifying one thing before I begin. On Christmas, I got myself an X Box One so I can continue my game collection. However, as I was going to play one of the games that I got, an error message appeared and it tells me to eject the disk and check to see if its an X Box One game, a CD, DVD, or a Blue-Ray. Now I don't know what's going on or why it says that, but the games I put in are X Box One and nothing else. The strangest part is that I played Sunset Overdrive on Christmas and it worked just fine. And now a day after not only that the game won't load due to this error message, but also all my other games as well. Had to exchange it on Amazon to get a new one two days later and it's now playing games again (with the exception of Titan Fall since that disk seems defective) but then it started to act up again a day after and had to restart the console to play it. I really don't know if the systems I got are defective or the disks aren't inserted the right way, but this is becoming a nagging problem. It would seem that my only option left if this keeps up is to buy the games in the X Box Store since I don't want to do the repetitive exchange time and time again. But then there's the price issue regarding games and some are more expansive then others. What am I suppose to do? If anyone has any idea, give me a quick review or private message.**

**Checking the results from the last chapter, I could tell that this was good. Seven to eight reviews and almost eight hundred views. So far, so good. Could be more, but there will be in the near future. Let's see how many hits and reviews I get on the next one. On the next chapter of Transformers Prime S3 E3, Optimus was teaching Jack the way of the Prime while Fowler tried to clear some things about the Autobot/Decepticon War. Meanwhile, MECH is up to their old tricks as the Director shows Masterson around. What surprised does MECH have in store for the Autobots? This is going to get bad for the team.**

**Chapter Notes**

**In this chapter, I'm going to add another character from the Transformers Archive. This one comes from the recent film, Transformers: Age of Extinction (A.K.A. What was Paramount thinking making another movie of this crap?) I can't say what this character is, but if you see the list of bad guy humans in the multitude of universes, this in of the Age of Extinction movie is a big enough giver. You'll see what I mean.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Prime**

* * *

Chapter Five: Attinger

The next day, Optimus was beginning Jack's training in becoming a Prime. Underneath Lake Eerie of the Autobot base, Optimus was at the training room with Ratchet by his side while Jack stood in front of him. He was sitting cross-legged as he was wondering what this lesson is about. Since he cannot train with Optimus due to the leader's recovery, he was curious as to what this was about.

Optimus Prime: "Welcome to your training of becoming a Prime young Darby. This is where you will learn on being like one. Now being a Prime isn't about your special ability, Darby. It is about he knowledge and bravery you need to be a better leader. Today, I will teach you how to discover a weakness of any Decepticon you would come to contact with."

Rodimus listened to this and was a little confused. Raising his hand, he asked about it.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Um… Optimus?"

The Prime lifted his hand up and told him to pronounce him in a proper manner.

Optimus Prime: "Please, no need for acquaintances. In these teachings, you will refer to me as a mentor."

The new Prime sighed and followed his advice.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Of course, my mentor. Might I ask why do I have to know of this? Decepticons are supseptable to sword strikes and blaster shots. And I know how to take down cons as well. Cut off the head or shoot the spark chamber. Remember?"

Ratchet rolled his optics around and explained to the student about that.

Ratchet: "Naturally it's the original way in doing it. But that's what a soldier needs to do. If you are to take down the enemy, you must know of whatever strength and weakness he or she might have. All Primes need to use their processors over the brawn. We can't have another Bulkhead in the group."

Optimus lifted his servo up and continued on.

Optimus Prime: "Which is why we're here. In order to understand your enemy's weakness, you need to know who they are and what they're capable of. Let us begin with the easy ones. Ratchet?"

The medic nodded and pushed a button to activate the hologram projector above their heads. Once it was fully illuminated, they were showing the first displays of Decepticon drones, both Vehicons and Airadicons. Once they were on, the leader explained a few things.

Optimus Prime: "Though the Decepticons are merciless, they give aid to their drones that serve their cause. Quick and cunning, they're combat could be close quarters fighting or long range shooting. And with their respective vehicle modes, they won't be easy to take down due to their speed, whether they are in the air or on the ground. However, they cannot be invisible as they do make the simplest mistake. Though shooting them in the head and spark chamber are an easy option, simple slices as the arms or legs would disable them if timed right."

He then went to the mining drones and told him about it.

Optimus Prime: "Miners, however, are more of the working class then soldier. Their obligation is to mine energon or work on the other assignments. They don't pose much of a threat so attacking them isn't necessary. But if you are provoked in any way, or they strike back, then and only then you can fight them."

The image then switched to the heavy's as Optimus continued.

Optimus Prime: "The new Cons you and your friends encounter are the toughest to match. The Tankicons have a powerful cannon that one shot would take you down while their shields protect them from incoming projectiles, no matter how power Autobot weaponry is. Explosives seem like a simple option, but there are two weaknesses they have. For one, they are vulnerable from behind and with the right diversion, they would be taken down easily. Another weakness is that they seem to be susceptible to full charge, preferably in vehicle mode. Performing that move can stun the Tankicon, long enough for a couple of strong hits."

He then moved on to the Combaticon and gave his lesson on that monstrosity.

Optimus Prime: "Combaticons are difficult to beat. With their sheer strength, they can pummel you down to nothing. Combine that with the electrical prods in their backs, they will temporarily stun you to deliver a quick blow and their charging technique can plow you down. But what they have in strength, lacked in intelligence. The only thing they can do is charge and fight and have no-"

Jack quickly raised his hand and wanted to know something.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Opti- er- Mentor… Can I ask a quick question?"

The leader looked to him strangely and waved it off.

Optimus Prime: "By all means…"

Getting his servo down, he asked about his fight against the one Con he knew so well.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "You said it yourself that you need to know your enemy's weakness, right? Well I was wondering… Were you able to exploit Megatron's weakness?"

The Prime looked to him and turned his head away, feeling a little hesitant in letting him know about it. Knowing he wants answers, he turned to him and explained about that.

Optimus Prime: "Megatron is a difficult to exploit. As a former gladiator, he knows of ways in surviving the toughest of situations. No matter how hard I try, he tends to escape a fate worse then death. He is the most complicated of opponents I've faced and even if you have possession of the Star Saber, Megatron will use whatever he has to succeed. I should know, I try to take him down only to be beaten with his own sword he created thanks to what he had done."

Jack looked to him and nodded in understanding. Since Megatron is a tough opponent, no one can stop him, not even Optimus. He quickly turn back and then started to wonder about someone else. Since he had awoken, Arcee was starting to become distant to him. It's almost like she didn't want to speak to him anymore. He had no idea why, since he did save her back as Sumdac's facility. It just doesn't feel right. As he was thinking about it, the Prime saw this and snapped him back to reality.

Optimus: "Rodimus."

Jack looked back to the leader and could tell that he wasn't listening.

Optimus Prime: "Pay attention. You need to know what weakness you can use to exploit your opponents."

The new Prime looked on and was being apologetic.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Sorry mentor. It's just that I'm a little worried about Arcee. She's been quiet ever since the incident at Sumdac's factory and she was distancing herself with me. I just don't understand?"

The Prime could tell that he was a little worried about that, since he had a relationship with a femme of his own. Giving a deep sigh, he decided to explain it as much as he could.

Optimus Prime: "I can understand that you are worried about your partner. Its just things have changed since the time you've become a Prime. You need to understand that sacrifices need to be made in order for you to learn and adapt to your new mantle. Just give it some time and I'm certain that she will return to you."

Jack gave a deep sigh and decided to listen to him. But deep in his spark, he needed to speak to her when he has the chance. During that time, Optimus decided to continue with the lesson.

Optimus Prime: "Now let us proceed with your lessons, as there is a lot to learn."

Before he could even begin, Wheeljack came into the training room and told the three about something.

Wheeljack: "Sorry to interrupt the studies, but you are needed in the command center. Fowler is going to be in Godfrey's talk show in moments. Hopefully what he says will fix the problems that happened in Detroit."

The moment he left, Jack breathed in relief, knowing that he has a break.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Sounds like the shows about to begin. Let's check it out."

He stood up and walked out of the training room as Optimus rubbed the temples of his metal forehead. Ratchet looked to him and told him it was all right.

Ratchet: "Easy there Optimus. It's still early in the training. I'm certain that in a few weeks, he will learn from you in no time."

The Prime looked to him and was worried about something else.

Optimus Prime: "I hope you're right old friend. For I don't think teaching young Darby in becoming a full Prime isn't going to be a problem. The problem would be with his distraction of the one thing I had to give up."

So Ratchet pushed Optimus on the electrical wheelchair as they wondered what Fowler is going to say.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the studio of Godfrey in Washington D.C., Fowler was at the dressing room and was waiting for his time to get on the stage. During that time, he contacted the general of the situation.

Agent Fowler: "Yes Bryce, I can understand that we need to clear some things about the Autobots and giving the civilians and understanding that they're on our side. But doing this on a talk show, and with a host that like the milk the ratings off his show to get some talk on social media? That's not the brightest of ideas. Godfrey always tends to turn things around when he has guests on his show. Remember the American Sniper incident?" … "Okay, I understand that we need to clear some things about the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. Still, discussing on the situation on a national televised program could be a bit too far. Hell, I don't know what surprises he has in store for me when it comes to ratings sweep." … "I got it. The American people should be informed. It's the type of thing George Washington and Good and Honest Abe wanted. I just hope that he doesn't make the situation much worse as it is."

As he was talking about it, he heard a knock at the door as someone called him out.

"William Fowler, you're up in thirty seconds. Please report to the stage."

Will turned to the door and responded.

Agent Fowler: "Got it."

Returning to the phone, he decided to finish the call.

Agent Fowler: "I'll contact you back when I'm finished with the interview. Let's hope I don't run into any surprises he can throw at me."

Hanging up his cell, he gave a deep sigh and quickly approached the door.

Agent Fowler: "Here we go…"

Opening the door, he decided to get this over with.

* * *

Back to the Autobot base, all of Team Prime was present at the command center as one of the screens showed Godfrey's show. They were waiting patiently as they wondered how this would turn out. As they were waiting, Optimus, Ratchet, and Jack arrived at the scene and could see the group watching the screen. Miko turned to them arriving and was pleased to see them.

Miko/Kaosu: "Dudes, you're just in time! Fowler is going to be on to discuss about us. You can't miss it!"

Ratchet gave a deep sigh and said in an arrogant tone.

Ratchet: "Oh sure… Nothing like revealing to the public then to humiliate yourself on a childish TV show."

Bulkhead turned to him and told him it was all right.

Bulkhead: "Don't get too worked up about it Ratch. Maybe this s would make our existence a positive in the eyes of the humans. Maybe they can treat us better."

Ratchet groaned and was a little skeptical about it.

Ratchet: "Oh sure… Discussing of our situation in a publicly televised show seems like the wisest of options. I'm certain the Decepticons are laughing right now."

Smokescreen turned to the medic and told him that it was all right.

Smokescreen: "Hey, don't get so negative Ratch. Maybe this could be good for us. I mean, Fowler is our former liaison, right? So basically he's on our side. He can give the public our side of the story."

June though turned to the Elite Guard member and told him about the host.

June/Altra: "True… But this is Godfrey we're talking about. Heard this slime ball tends to pull the strings in his little interviews. Surprise guests, bending the truth, and the occasional question changes. This guy loves to make controversy everywhere he goes."

Bulk heard that and waited to see what happens.

Bulkhead: "Well we'll see about that. If this guy is bad, we should be cautious."

As everyone was waiting, Jack looked to Arcee as she was watching the screen intently. Knowing he has to speak to her, he approached her side and began asking.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Hey…"

The femme peered her optics to him and looked back to the screen, responding the same way.

Arcee: "Hey…"

Jack/Rodimus: "Is everything okay with you? You've been awfully quiet as of late and you've been ignoring me from time to time. Do you want to get something off your chest plate?"

Cee turned to him and tried to keep it a secret.

Arcee: "It's nothing Jack. I'm just anxious as to what Fowler would say about what happened at Sumdac's. There's nothing to worry about."

Jack looked to her and could tell that she was lying.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "That's not true! I know that you're keeping something from me. I know that ever since that incident at Sumdac's factory, you've been acting differently to me. So you better tell me what's really going on? Why are you not speaking to me?"

Arcee kept her mouth shut and didn't know how to explain it. Ever since Optimus decided on teaching the future Prime in his teachings, she was upset that her spark mate would spend more time in learning to be a leader and less time with her. Because of that, she decided to she could distant herself with Rodimus just so he can let him do what Optimus told him to do. Sure it seems wrong to alienate herself with Jack, but if this is what Optimus wants, then so be it. Still, keeping herself quiet with Jack could be troublesome, giving that he was already asking questions about it. Yet how is she going to explain this to him giving that she had been keeping this for a while? So her best option was to go around the subject as she turned to him and explained a bit.

Arcee: "Jack, I understand that you are concerned about me ever since Masterson tried to hurt me. I also appreciate that you saved me back there. But face the facts, you are destined to be a Prime, I'm just a simple soldier. I think it's best we separate for a while, at least until things settle."

The new Prime looked on and almost felt as though that it sounded like she wanted to break up with him. He was confused and didn't know what to think anymore. Are they going to be breaking up or just to keep their relationship on hold for sometime? Raf then looked to the two arguing and could tell that they are in some serious trouble. Hearing about what Wheeljack said, their rocky relationship is going to be like Optimus and Elita One. He needs to do something and clear some things around before their love will soon be over. As he was thinking about it…

Wheeljack: "Show's starting. Everybody shut your yappers!"

So the group watched the screens as the one showed the interview.

G. Gordon Godfrey: _"Welcome back to the G. Gordon Godfrey Show."_

* * *

Returning to the studio, Godfrey was sitting down on a comfy chair while Fowler was on the other. The camera was panned to host's face as he started his show.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Today is going to be a very special interview that I've been promising for weeks on end since this invasion started. But after what happened within Detroit, he decided to come to my show to explain some things about the recent incidents. Now allow me to introduce to you my special guest. He's a special agent in Unit E and both a former Army Ranger and lesion of these so-called Autobots. Please welcome to the stage, William Fowler."

The camera panned out to show both him and Fowler sitting in front of each other as the host greeted the former liaison.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Hello there Mr. Fowler. First of all, allow me to thank you for coming on my show in the middle of this busy schedule of yours."

Fowler looked to him and responded back.

Agent Fowler: "The appreciation is mine, Godfrey. But let me be very clear before we could begin this interview. I'm just going to share to you what the Pentagon wants to talk about. I can't give you all the information we know to the public unless the matter is cleared. Got it?"

Godfrey looked to him and had a slight smirk, knowing that he can't have all the information he needed. But he knows his way in persuading the former Army Ranger.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "But of course Fowler. I'm fully aware that you can't share all the details; just what your higher ups would like to talk about. You have my word. Now why don't we start with what occurred down at Sumdac Systems within Detroit. News reports indicated that the Autobots were present when a rouge Automaton wreaked havoc within the facility. Explain to us what has happened down there."

Fowler looked to him intently and knew he's just warming him up and making sure he does crack under pressure. But he won't give up that easily as he explained about that incident.

Agent Fowler: "First of all Godfrey, the Automaton that Sumdac created didn't go rouge. It was controlled by a disgruntled employee that was a little bit of a loon. He took over that bot by using a device he could operate on the body of his choosing. As far as the Autobot's involvement, they were there to get a good tour of the place, see how Sumdac's mechanical wonders work and the like. Of course this wasn't approved by me and the superiors, since I was discharged for reasons I can't discuss at this moment. However, I will say that they have come there at an opportune moment because if they weren't present, then Sumdac's System and half of Detroit would've turned into a demolition derby. Thankfully the occupants in the factory evacuated otherwise we would've have casualties to begin with."

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Yes, it's a miracle that no one didn't get hurt. Though I wish I could say the same for the installation itself. Reports indicate that the damage to the area was aggressive and it would take some time for repairs to be in place and that 25% of the facility would be up and running."

Agent Fowler: "Rest assure Gordon that the U.S. Government was fully aware of the situation and has paid Professor Sumdac well to afford the repairs that was caused by his employee."

G. Gordon Godfrey: "And what of one of the Autobots? I've heard that he did most of the damage when he was fighting and destroying Sumdac property."

Agent Fowler: "For the record, what he did was stop the lunatic from destroying the factory. Most of the damage was caused by the person responsible in controlling one of Sumdac's products and one of the Autobots had to do everything in his power in stopping him."

* * *

In the base, the team listened in and was relieved that Fowler isn't pointing fingers at Jack.

Smokescreen: "Huh… Wouldn't you know it? Seems like Fowler isn't blaming you for what happened Jack."

He turned to the new Prime and could tell that he was relieved about that.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Well, that's Fowler. He doesn't want to give out names of anyone that was held responsible. Even if I did cause some form of damage, Fowler can't give out my identity. Right Arcee?"

He turned to the femme, seeing if he can start a conversation with her. But she was quiet as she responded back in a simple form.

Arcee: "Mm hm, sure."

Rodimus looked to her and could tell that she wasn't in the mood for talking. Looking back to the screen, he sighed and continued watching.

G. Gordon Godfrey: _"So I heard. Why don't we move on to the invasion that occurred and how these alien robots came to this planet? How did they enter Earth in the first place?"_

* * *

Back in the studio, Fowler was calm and collective, giving that he knows what he need to say or not need to say.

Agent Fowler: "Glad you asked that question. I'm certain you've heard of NASA's SETI program, do you?"

Gordon looked to him and was curious about that.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "I've head of that. It's a program NASA cooked up in the 1980s to contact extraterrestrials beyond the solar system. Sounds like a ludicrous joke if you ask me. Why you say that?"

Fowler smiled at that and explained about that program.

Agent Fowler: "Well, this joke of a program you were referring to, managed to make contact with an alien race in the mid 80s. After all the heat the government had put up with, they got the response they were looking for. And you can guess what aliens made contact with us."

Godfrey looked to him strangely until he can finally put the pieces together.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "So these aliens made the first response? Well this is something I didn't think was possible. Care to explain to me why they contacted you in the first place?"

Agent Fowler: "For a wide variety of reasons. One of the main reason however is that their planet was torn due to a war. A war that simply consumed the planet into darkness with the factions between the Autobots and Decepticons.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "I take the first to respond was the Autobots, are they?"

Agent Fowler: "You could say that. They wanted a place to call their own and are searching for Energon, the fuel that they needed to survive. So we responded to come to our planet and after a twenty year wait, Optimus and his team came to this planet for refuge."

* * *

Returning to the base, Miko heard that and was completely shock.

Miko/Kaosu: "Twenty years? That long!? Man, you guys took your time. Ever heard of a warp drive or something?"

The Japanese femme looked back to Optimus, looking for an answer. Both the leader and the medic looked to each other as Ratch turned for an answer.

Ratchet: "Oh please… As advance as our ships were, we had to make the long journey across the galaxy. And giving the drive we had, it only took us months in warp while Earth thought it took us twenty years."

Miko raised an optic ridge and responded the best she could.

Miko/Kaosu: "Really? Cause it sure sounds like it took long."

She turned back to the screen and kept watching the interview with the others.

Agent Fowler: _"Needless to say, the Autobots wanted to place to take shelter in and we decided to be generous in giving them a home to call their own."_

* * *

Returning to the studios…

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Interesting… So you're saying is that the Autobots come to this planet, just because they needed to place to stay."

Agent Fowler: "You could say that, yes."

Slouching back, Gordon decided to throw one of his curve balls at him.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "But if was you say is true and the SETI program got the attention of the Autobots, then I would assume that these Decepticons picked up that transmission too."

Fowler could tell that Gordon was trying to crack him up, so he kept his cool and told him everything he needed to know.

Agent Fowler: "Unfortunately, yes. The Cons picked up the SETI's satellite signal and followed it to our planet as well. Now it was pretty much a few scouting parties from here and there and we managed to contain the matter quickly. But within the recent months, he had some serious trouble with Megatron, who is the leader of the Decepticons and his warship hovering over the planet. Even with the resources that we have, we don't want to have a panic across the globe. So we had to let the Autobots handle the Decepticons while the suits upstairs contain the matter. For months on end, we erase every evidence that the war existed and kept the situation on the DL in front of the public. So far, we managed to get through without any incident, at least that was until-"

Godfrey interrupted him and knew what he was going to say.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Until these Decepticons decided to place a towering fortress in the Nevada desert and attacked a small town close by. Is that was you were referring to? Perhaps you should explain to the viewers about that debacle."

Will's response was a simple shake of his head and an apology.

Agent Fowler: "I'm sorry, but I cannot share you that information as of right now. The government is not ready to share that. Giving what Lasky and his men experienced, they cannot let this news about the Jasper Invasion public. Right now, its just information the government wanted me to share. Is that understandable?"

Godfrey starred him down and could tell that he wasn't ready in sharing the news with the public. But giving the hesitation of the government, he decided to let it all slide and went on with the interview.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "But of course. If the government wants to keep quite about it then I'll let them. I can't complain."

* * *

Returning to Omega One, Jack listened in and gave a deep sigh.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Thank goodness Fowler isn't explaining about what happened to Jasper. After what the Cons did to that place, I don't want to relive that event."

Arcee peeked back to Jack and could tell that he was upset that his hometown was no more. She wanted to come to his aid and comfort him, but with him being a Prime, she decided to wait until the right moment. She then looked back to the screen to see the conversation continuing.

G. Gordon Godfrey: _"Now Fowler, a lot of questions have been asked in this show of why the Autobots remained on this planet since their arrival. Now granted it's for refuge and looking for this energon stuff you've been talking about. But I have gotten good authority that the government had something to do with them being here in the first place."_

* * *

Back in the studio, Godfrey started to deliver the hard-hitting questions.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Now from what I've heard, the government, along with the president, had signed a bill of rights the moment they arrived. Is that true Mr. Fowler?"

Will raised an eyebrow to him and wondered how he knew of that information.

Agent Fowler: "And who told you of that?"

Gordon though remained calm and kept on asking about that.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Answer the question, Fowler. Did they or did they not write a Bill of Rights that centered around the aliens arriving here?"

Fowler looked on and didn't think he would know something like that. Yet the higher ups did say to share any news to the media and that included the Autobots arrival. So he decided to tell him about it, but not so much.

Agent Fowler: "Well, when the Autobots arrived on this planet, it was clear that there need to be some laws to make sure that they don't cause any trouble. So under the private eyes, we created the Aliens and Humans Alliance Act, in which we give the Autobots refuge and resources. In exchange they would give us protection against the Decepticon threat while we keep the war a secret to the mass population."

* * *

In the Autobot base, the recruits and a few Autobots looked on and were surprised by this.

Smokescreen: "The Aliens and Humans Alliance Act? I've never heard of that."

Wheeljack: "Yeah, me neither. I thought you guys came to this planet with no problem."

The Wrecker turned to the leader to get the answer as the others watched on to see if Prime could give an answer. The leader looked to them and explained about it.

Optimus Prime: "Although we were grateful that the humans can give us a home to call our own, they were weary about our arrival and wanted to make an agreement. So Washington officials decided in creating a bill that would not only help us, but give the humans breathing room."

Ratchet then came in and explained how tough that was.

Ratchet: "And boy, how tough they were. We had to agree on many things before we can set up camp. All these stupid rights, where we can go, where we can hide, seeking approval by the United Nations, the world leaders, seek permission first before we head on out. It was fragging gruesome!"

Prime lifted his servo up to gesture him to be quiet while tell the others that it was successful.

Optimus Prime: "Regardless of all of that, we've managed to make an agreement with the humans and with the president's seal of approval are now part of Earth's defense force against the Decepticons. And so the Aliens and Humans Agreement Act was born."

The others listened in and some of them didn't expect that from the team. Not even Kaosu as she scratched the back of her helm.

Miko/Kaosu: "So what, you're saying that you have to follow the government rules and regulations? And to think that these missions we've been through were all fun and games."

Optimus Prime: "As much as you don't like the decision, but humans did fear of us when we arrived. Thankfully we've managed to ease their worry and let them know that we do come in peace. A shame though that Megatron only wants this planet for continuous conquest. He would understand that all life is as equal no matter the differences."

Arcee placed her servos on her hips and had to speak to the Autobot leader of something.

Arcee: "Is that right? Well I hate to break it to you sir, but the Decepticons have already begun the conquest of Earth by placing Darkmount in Nevada and attacking Jasper. You think for a second that what happened weeks ago would jeopardize that Act?"

Optimus look down and gave it some thought. Normally, small incidents in the past never cause this much trouble. But after what happened at Jasper, things took a turn for the worse for them. And since then, he wonders if that bill would be ejected. Thinking this through and through, he came up with a simple answer.

Optimus Prime: "I do not know…"

The group then turned to the screen to see where this interview is going.

G. Gordon Godfrey: _"That is quite interesting, Fowler, quite interesting indeed. But tell me something, of those that agreed to pass that Alien bill, were there those that oppose to these Cybertronians to stay on this planet?"_

* * *

Fowler remained calm in the studio, as he knew that Gordon was trying to make the situation worse.

Agent Fowler: "You could say that. Though the 85 to 90% agreed to the bill, the remaining percentage opposed it. Of course the usual individuals were the right wing nut jobs who think Alien immigration is a bit extreme. You know those people. The kind that live in the southern states that wants to legalize Mexican immigration."

Godfrey smirked and knew now is the time to act on this answer.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Indeed… So you think that they will keep this bill up even after what transpired in Nevada?"

Agent Fowler: "But of course. With these Cons now occupying this planet and have a base of operations of their own in America's backyard, the Autobots are needed to protect the human race at all costs."

Gordon now decided and pull a fast one on him and said something he didn't see coming.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Is that what you think? Well then, why don't we get another opinion on this."

The former Army Ranger blinked and was a little confused.

Agent Fowler: "Another opinion?"

Godfrey ignored the agent and started with the introduction.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Allow me to introduce to you my surprise guest. He's a former member of the CIA and one of the political right wing nut jobs Fowler was talking about. Please welcome to the stage, Harold Attinger!"

The moment Fowler heard the name; he bolted up and said in a loud booming voice…

Agent Fowler: "What?!"

As he said that, a lone figure came out through the curtain and approached the two. Fowler turned to this person and got a good look at him. He was a bit of a stout man in his mid fifties with parting hair at the front and a dark mustache and gray beard. He had on a customized black suit with a strip tie and has glasses on his face. As he approached the stage, Will glared at him and didn't know what to think.

Agent Fowler: "Attinger…"

Harold looked to the agent and had a slight grin to his face.

Harold Attinger: "Fowler… So nice to see you again. How are things down in Unit E?"

Fowler kept his ground and played it cool as much as he could.

Agent Fowler: "Dandy… You? What brings you to this show?"

Attinger pointed to himself and was acting all surprised.

Harold Attinger: "Me? Well since what happened in Jasper became a prime concern, I thought it be nice to come here and share my thoughts."

* * *

Returning to the base, the team watched on as some wondered who this person is. But the others, they know who he is clear as day as Ratch was disgusted by him.

Ratchet: "On no… Not him… Not that sleazy weasel…"

The group looked to the medic and was a bit confused by Ratchet's words. Jack then decided to ask about it.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Ratchet, are you all right? Who is this guy?"

Ratchet turned to the Prime in training and explained about it.

Ratchet: "That, Jack, is Harold Attinger. He was one of the members of congress that opposed the bill to let us stay. He's more of a foreign phoebe if you will. He believes that our kind doesn't deserve to be sharing the same planet as them. He'd been trying to keep us off this planet but it had come to no avail. Now it looks like he's up to his old tricks again."

Miko looked to the guy on the TV and raised an optic ridge.

Miko/Kaosu: "So what? You're saying that this guy is some racist loon? And to think that we have enough crazies to deal with."

Optimus though turned to the Wrecking cadet and explained it further.

Optimus Prime: "There's more to this then you think Kaosu. What Attinger wanted is to make sure that we Autobots leave this planet so that the humans could defend themselves against the Decepticons. He believes that humans are the superior race and have the advance weaponry to wipe anything in their path."

Wheeljack grunted and thought that part of a little hilarious.

Wheeljack: "Most advance weaponry huh? I don't know about that bossbot. After what I've been through with MECH, I do believe the humans are well protected with their own weaponry."

Arcee was then curious about his arrival on the show and asked the leader about it.

Arcee: "Optimus, if this Attinger wants us out of the planet, then why would he be on the show? Doesn't make sense for someone against us staying here would come to a public televised event."

The Prime gave it some thought until he came up with a really good answer.

Optimus Prime: "It would seem that the only way he can continue his campaign against us is the lure the audience to his side. And from what I've heard from this show, it would seem that his intentions are very clear."

The others quickly look back to the screen, wondering what this Attinger has in store for them.

* * *

Returning to the studio, Godfrey was speaking to both Fowler and Attinger as he kept up with the conversation.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Now Mr. Attinger, you were one of the members of congress that disapprove of the Autobots staying on this planet. Is that true?"

Harold sat back and answered straight forwardly.

Harold Attinger: "Yes, yes I was."

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Please, Attinger, tell me why you didn't agree to this bill in keeping the Autobots here, just like all the brainwashed morons in that building?"

Harold Attinger: "It's really simple Mr. Godfrey. As a former member of the CIA, it was my duty in keeping anything that is a potential threat to the public. These aliens, these Autobots as they are called, are part of the threat. They are aliens that are dangerous and have weapons in their body and bent on harming others. They promised that they were going to protect us from these Decepticons. But when the SETI satellite came by and the Cons picked up the same signal as the Autobots, these goody two shoes have led their enemy to our planet as well. We already have our necks deep in many threats here as it is from the Al-Quida, the Taliban, Isis, Russian superiority, and North Korea. Now that we have these Decepticons on the long list of things America needs to be concerned about, our situation has gotten a whole lot worse."

Fowler overheard all of this and could tell that he was starting to bend the truth. So he turned to him and told him straight away.

Agent Fowler: "For the record, Attinger, we never knew that the SETI satellite would get the attention of the Decepticons. Not only that, but the Autobots have warned us about them way before they could even touch American soil. So we did prepare ourselves from their coming and had everything set for when they would even decide to attack any city. Not to mention that the Autobots would keep their war secretive to the public for some time."

Attinger heard all of that and decide to throw him a curveball.

Harold Attinger: "Indeed, you've kept this war of theirs a secret. But that was until the Decepticons attacked that town in Nevada and nearly wiped out the occupants in that town. Even if the Autobots promised to protect us, they were nowhere in that town to begin with. Care to explain to me about that?"

The agent was taken aback by that and could tell that he wanted some answers about that incident. Still, he kept it shut and told him that it was classified.

Agent Fowler: "Sorry Attinger, but the boys on top had told me that that information needs to be discrete. Exposing the public on these sensitive issues can lead to a-"

Harold Attinger: "Expose the public? Everyone already knows that the Decepticons and Autobots are turning our planet into another one of their war zone. Exactly what is the government hiding that the civilians should know about?"

Agent Fowler: "I didn't say that the government was hiding something, Attinger."

Harold Attinger: "Is that so? Well let me tell you what the government was hiding."

To that, he got up and stood in front of the Fowler, taking out a stack of papers that he was keeping for a while. He then showed it to Fowler and explained what he was holding.

Harold Attinger: "What I have here in my hand is a report of the Autobots stay on Earth. A report that the higher ups didn't want to public to hear."

Fowler looked on and was shocked by this turn of events. He stood up and force some answers out of the former CIA agent.

Agent Fowler: "Those reports were kept under lock and key. How were you able to get them."

Attinger adjusted his glasses to begin skimming through the report before and answered the former Army Ranger.

Harold Attinger: "I have my connections… Now it says in this report that you give the Autobots a place to stay. A base of operations as it were, where they can call a home away from home while keeping the civilians in the dark of their existence. Yet of all the places your generals had to pick, it had to be the one place that's close to a populated town. And you can guess where I'm talking about. Their base was in a decommissioned missile silo, near Jasper, Nevada. The very same place the Decepticons placed that spire of theirs. Coincidence? I think not."

Godfrey looked to Fowler and asked about it.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Is that true Fowler? Were the Autobots living in a base near that town the Cons taken over?"

Fowler turned to him and was a little worried about what Attinger said. That information of the Autobot base wasn't meant to be shared in front of the audience. Nor that it needed to be revealed in front of a televised program. This is bad news for U.S. government and it would spell trouble for the Autobots. Something needs to be done and he has to do something about it.

Agent Fowler: "Now that information didn't need to be disclosed. No one needs to know about-"

But Gordon interrupted him and demanded answers.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Is it true? Yes or no?"

Fowler was about to say something, but it didn't help the fact that he's being bullied over this. Feeling defeated, he sighed and told the truth.

Agent Fowler: "It's true. But let's be honest here. The Autobots needed a place to stay and there were plenty of decommissioned military bases and silos that haven't been used since World War II and Nam. That missile silo near Jasper is a few of the places that were big enough for the Autobots to fit in. And as far as the human towns is concerned, it is the only place that had a small enough community. Where else would the government place them? In Washington? In New York City? Mount Rushmore? Any place that's heavily populated could lead to some serious tragic consequences. But as I said before, that information shouldn't be shared."

Harold looked to him and raised an eyebrow, then went back to the report.

Harold Attinger: "So you say? Well it would seem that secret's out. But there is more to this then I thought. From what I can understand, is that the moment that missile base was destroyed, the team wasn't there. It would seem that the Autobots retreated instead of defending themselves."

Fowler turned to the former CIA agent and explained what really happened.

Agent Fowler: "I'll have you know that I was there when the Decepticons were making residents in our fair states. The Autobots did manage to defend themselves, but the Decepticon armada was too strong for them. So they're only option is to retreat and scatter across the state, just so they can regroup and perform a counter attack. It's one of the emergency plans the team set up incase something like that was bound to happen."

Harold Attinger: "So they fallback in order to fight again? That seems obvious. But to have them evacuate their base to fight another day, that leaves the town close by defenseless against these dangerous individuals."

Agent Fowler: "I was fully aware of that as was the military. Which is why we were prepared in evacuating the town before the new tenants decided to make their presence known."

Attinger rolled his eyes around and told him that it didn't work.

Harold Attinger: "And you've done a really good job on that, did you? This EVAC was supposed to protect our kind yet instead lead to too much chaos. So much so that it lead to the Decepticons attacking that town and taking away so many innocent lives, civilians and military alike. Some evacuation you've done."

Fowler could tell that he was in the hot seat now and tried to reason with the former CIA agent.

Agent Fowler: "The people in that town was confused, Attinger. They have no idea what's going on since that light came down near their town. They've been asking too many questions and we can't give them any answers other then to follow protocol. The last thing we wanted is for the community to go in a panic state and ultimately take the EVAC's longer then they should. Not to mention the residence were grabbing any valuable possession they have as they fear that it could be a war coming."

Harold Attinger: "And war did come, Fowler. The look where it got us. Many people lost their lives on that day. Men, women, and children that have futures ahead of them. And where were the Autobots where they promised to protect us? I'll tell you what happened. They fled while the occupants in the town suffered terribly. They have been nothing but cowards when they should've saved us."

Now Fowler just about had it as he marched forward and told him truthfully.

Agent Fowler: "They were following protocol and was hiding from the Cons! They can't fight them all in one go! They had to go on the run until they can regroup and perform a counter strike. Do you really want them to take on a huge army of Cons?"

Harold Attinger: "In an attempt save humanity from this new threat? I suppose that would've been the wisest of option instead of retreating. Now we got this incident in Detroit caused by the Autobots and this disgruntled employee of Sumdac Systems. I assume that we cannot trust these Autobots in protecting the vast population, to protect our children and our children's children."

He then turned to Godfrey to let him know what needs to be done.

Harold Attinger: "The truth is Godfrey is that aliens are real. The threat is real… You have seen what they can do to a small town. Imagine what they can to do a city, a country, perhaps the entire planet. We can't trust these Autobots knowing the damage they've caused in Sumdac Systems."

G. Gordon Godfrey: "What are you suggesting Attinger?"

Harold Attinger: "An emergency meeting is going to take place in the United Nations in the coming months to discuss about this alien war. From there, there would be a decision on whether to keep these Autobots this planet to protect humanity, or have them leave Earth while we fix this mess they started."

Fowler heard that and was surprised by this turn of events.

Agent Fowler: "Now hold on for just one second. I wasn't informed of this meeting."

Harold told to him and explained that reason.

Harold Attinger: "Well you were once a liaison for these Autobots back then, so you would've known about this. However, due to recent events, you were discharged from that duty and couldn't get that type of information. How sad that you have lost your position after all these years. Doesn't matter right now. Soon, the UN will make that decision on keeping the Autobots here or booting them out. And I'm hoping that the world leaders will send them off to the stars. Now if you excuse me, I have to prepare this new campaign on the removal of the Autobots."

He turned to the host and thanked him.

Harold Attinger: "Thank you for having me on the show Mr. Godfrey. I just hope that what I said cleared some things."

And with that, he walked away from the stage, leaving Fowler in a state of shock. Not only he didn't expect the former CIA agent in coming here of all places, but reveal some things that the military didn't want to share. As he was quiet about this, he could hear the voice of Godfrey asking him something.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Well Fowler, would you like to share us something else before we end this interview?"

Fowler shook off from the shock and decided to leave on his own accord. But not before saying something to the host.

Agent Fowler: "No, I have nothing to say…"

To that, he stormed off the stage and was emotionally irate about this turn of events. As soon as the two left, Godfrey turned to the camera and decided to close it off.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Well folks, there you have it. Proof that the Decepticons aren't the only ones that would cause trouble for the planet, but also the Autobots as well. Should we even trust these so called do gooders after what they have caused?"

* * *

Back to the base…

G. Gordon Godfrey: _"We'll be back tomorrow to have you, the audience call this studio on our number to give your own thoughts about this alien war. Until next time-"_

Before the show could even finish, a katana sword came out of nowhere and hit the screen, destroying it completely. Turns out, it was Wheeljack who single handedly threw that sword at the screen and had a look of anger in his optics. The others looked to him in surprise as Ratchet was pissed about what he did.

Ratchet: "Wheeljack! I NEEDED THAT!"

Wheeljack ignored him and turned to the others on what he witnessed.

Wheeljack: "Did you not see what that slagger said? He thinks we're as bad as the Cons! Do he even know what we've been through? What we've had endure from MECH and the Decepticons? We have to fight our way through all that scrap and this is how the humans treat us?!"

The others could tell that he's upset as Bulk approached him and calmed him down.

Bulkhead: "Easy there Jackie. We don't want to aggravate the humans into thinking we're bad. Still though, I can agree with you that Godfrey and Attinger had made our predicament far worse. What was that thick headed clown doing on that show anyways?"

June then came in and answered his question.

June/Altra: "It's obvious why he was here. Godfrey is trying to stir the pot on us. And this Attinger person seems like the wild card for this interview. You guys have to deal with him?"

The nurse turned to them to get some answers. Ratchet looked to her and told her about that.

Ratchet: "In a way yes. He's been trying to protest against us for years and been trying force the government in kicking us out. Now he managed to pull this fiasco and told everyone about our old base close to Jasper! As if our situation couldn't get any worse."

Jack then remembers Attinger talking about something and asked Optimus about that.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Optimus, is what Attinger said is true? Is there really going to be an emergency meeting discussing about this war?"

The Autobot leader looked down and could tell this was bad for them. Looking to the team, he told them the gravity of their situation.

Optimus Prime: "It would seem that way, Jack. With the world now knowing of our existence, there will be questions in letting our war against the Decepticons be on this planet. And with what transpired in the number of weeks, the humans could be very hesitant in our protection."

Smokescreen thought about this too and asked about this meeting.

Smokescreen: "Wait! Shouldn't this meeting be a good thing? I mean with the Cons now revealing themselves in front of everyone, all those world leaders should think about having you defend Earth."

The Prime turned to Elite Guard member and gave him his own thoughts.

Optimus Prime: "That might be true Smokescreen, but think of this fully. Giving that the Decepticons attacked Jasper and we weren't present due to protocol, the humans of this planet would be weary of us. And to make matters worse, Attinger is trying to form this negative campaign in our actions on that day. Combine that with the incident in Detroit, will give the world leaders second thoughts about us."

Arcee: "So what happens if they oppose our stay on this planet? What's the worse case scenario?"

Optimus was about to answer the femme's question until Ratchet spoke up.

Ratchet: "Naturally they would force us out of Earth. Perhaps veto the Aliens and Humans bill they placed in the first place and build a rocket ship to send us to the stars while they solve the Decepticon problem. Like humans know how to stop an army that has advance technology."

The recruits looked to this and were utterly shocked by this news.

Raf/Firewall: "Are you kidding me?! They can't do this to us! They should know that you guys are the only hope in stopping the Cons. And what about us? We were once human and were born on this planet. We can't leave Earth! I mean, how am I going to explain to my family that I will be leaving them forever?"

Kaosu then stepped in and asked about the other problem.

Miko/Kaosu: "Raf's right! They can't just simply do that! And even if they do, where are you guys going to go? Your home planet is dead and the remaining Cybertronians are scattered across the galaxy. How are you going to do that?"

Optimus looked to her and told her that it was too soon.

Optimus Prime: "Let's not go too far on that. If what they said is true, this meeting will take place in months. There is still time to let the world leaders think about what to do with us. However, with Attinger and Godfrey trying to sway the people over to them, it will make this much worse then ever. Right now, all we have to do is wait for their decision."

The two-wheeler then walked to him and asked him straight away.

Arcee: "So that's what you think? That's what we should do? Stand by and wait until the government decides to evict us?!"

The Autobot leader turned to her and could tell that she was upset.

Optimus Prime: "I know this is bad for all of us, but we do not know what decision they will make for our future and theirs. As long as we keep this planet safe from Decepticon rule, then perhaps maybe they humans will know that we're on their side."

The femme remained silent until she said something in a sour voice.

Arcee: "With all due respect sir, I think Godfrey and Attinger have already gain the lead on us. I'm going to be in my quarters if anyone needs me. Let me know when mankind starts kicking us out the door."

To that, she started to walk away from the group and headed to the quarters area. Jack looked to her and could tell that she needed a little comfort. Sure she had been acting strange as of late, but he needs to speak to her about this. However, as he was leaving to meet up with her, a servo was placed on his shoulder and he turned around to see who is it. Turns out, it was Raf as he shook his head to him.

Raf/Firewall: "Give some time to cool off. She's already on edge on all of this."

Rodimus looked to the hacker and told him he needs to speak to her.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Raf, I need to speak to her. She needs to be comfort her as much as I could, even after what transpired."

Firewall nodded but told him not to.

Raf/Firewall: "That might be true, but it's wise we give her some time to herself. There are a lot of things she needs to think about giving the situation we all are in."

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "No, that's not it. It's just that ever since I came to after that battle in Sumdac Systems, Arcee started to ignore me, like she doesn't want to see me again. Even if I want to ask her what's going on, it felt like she was going around the subject and shun me. Why is she acting like this?"

Raf turned his head away and was silent for a moment. Since the new Prime didn't know about what's going on with the femme, he should talk about it now while he has the time. Turning back, he decided to tell him the truth.

Raf/Firewall: "Do you really want to know why Arcee is acting this way? It's because of her sister."

Rodimus raised an optic ridge and was a little confused.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Her sister?"

That's when Raf decided to tell the whole story.

Raf/Firewall: "Back on Cybertron, Arcee's sister, Elita-One, fell in love with Optimus when he was Orion Pax. When the war started and Prime took the mantel, he began to distance himself from her. Though Elita is in love with him, she knew that it wasn't meant to be. I'm certain the reason why is because Optimus was protecting her and if Megatron found out, use her as some sort of bait. But all I know is that there are some relationships that can't be forged due to destiny. Now this is happening to you and Arcee, because you have now followed the path. The problem is that you are young for this, yet Optimus is pushing you to do this and is hurting Arcee because of this. You really need to think about the sacrifices you need to make when journeying down this path, for you may never know when this will end your relationship with her.

Jack listened in to what the hacker said and give it some thought. He didn't know that Optimus use to have a girlfriend before the Great War and his path led to their shattered relationship. Now the same thing is happening between him and Arcee and it's hurting the two-wheeler. Maybe if he can talk to her about that, that he's not going to be like Optimus, then he might pick up what's left of their relationship. As he was thinking about it, Optimus overheard the conversation and couldn't help but to feel sorry for Jack. Having him go through the same thing he went through sickens his spark completely. Maybe if he can do something about it, then perhaps he can keep Jack's and Arcee's relationship in tack. What none of them didn't know is that something bad was about to happen that could alter their situation far worse.

* * *

In an undisclosed location, the terrorist group known as MECH was preparing for battle, whatever that is. In one of the rooms, there was a sewn for machines all together, from tubes on one end, a machine that has laser guided arms next to a console, and multiple berths with humanoid molds on with and cranes high above. In the room, Masterson looked to this room and was completely amazed by it while the Director and Commander Rourke was behind him. The young scientist looked on and was at a loss of words.

Henry Masterson: "Wow… Just wow… This is amazing! What exactly is this place?"

The head scientist approached him and explained to him where he was.

Director: "I'm glad to see you enjoying the view. What you're seeing is my latest project I did in the past few weeks. It's called Project Metamorphosis and its goal is to turn an average human into one of the alien robots that have made their presence known. I assume you've encountered a few of them when you were in Sumdac Systems?"

The newly called Headmaster turned to the Director and was in a bit of a surprise.

Henry Masterson: "Hold up! You mean you've created those bots that attacked me?"

The Director nodded as he tried to clarify some things while explaining others.

Director: "Only a few of them. The rest were actual alien robots that came to the planet. See the process is a bit complicated, but the way it works is impressive on itself. The first step is to take the humans into those tubes over there and filled with energon, which is what is the lifeblood of this alien species, shock them with enough bolts so they can merge with the energon. It doesn't necessary kill them, but instead put them in a vegetated state. Next is that we transfer the newly created energon cubes to the laser machine over there and alter the subject's physic. See, when we turn them into energon, their DNA is embedded into the liquid substance. Once the lasers penetrate the liquid, it would alter the genetic code, converting the human DNA with one of a Cybertronian nature. It won't harm the subject, since they won't mentally feel a thing, but it would alter their bodies into something more powerful. The final stage though is that of a rebirth in nature. Once the genetic code is altered, we pour the newly created energon into the molded berths. From there, they get sparked with 110% of electrified volts. After that… Well, perhaps we should show you. Private Jeremy!"

Just as he said that, the garage door opened up in a room and Masterson turned to see a green sports car coming into room. Henry looked to it and wondered what was going on. That was when the care started to break apart and grew as metal shifted into a huge humanoid being. As soon as the car transformed into a MECHicon, the scientist's eyes went completely wide and couldn't believe it. He was looking at a living, breathing transforming robot up close and personal.

Henry Masterson: "Whoa!"

The Director smirked and could tell that he was impressed.

Director: "Indeed it is… As you can see, Masterson, that once the procedure is done, a regular military soldier will be turned into a robotic warrior ready for battle. See, MECH's purpose is to dominate the world with the advance of weaponry. And those alien beings, they are the most advance out there. Thanks to the research of a former member of MECH and the construction for Professor Sumdac, I now have the tools needed in making MECH's own army against both the Autobots and Decepticons. Of course I needed some test subjects to make sure that the project is a complete success. And the Autobot's human friends were the wisest of choices. Just as you can see, the test was successful and the Autobot's companions have been turned into Cybernetic aliens. Of course, I would've continued with the experiment if it hadn't been for the human's allies getting them out and the aide of Sumdac. However, what happened was in the past, as I am looking forward to the future of MECH. Please follow me…"

The Director then walked away as Masterson starred in awe by the huge bot. But hearing him leaving, he decided to see what other surprises are in store for him and followed him and Rourke.

* * *

In the hallway, the Director and Rourke walked down the area with soldiers and scientists going out their very business. Masterson followed behind as he wondered what else they have in store for him. The Director continued to discuss about the work he had done so far.

Director: "Ever since that test, the board had given me the green light in creating this new army. So far, we've nearly massed an army of MECH robotic soldiers and from there, we haven't looked back since. Of course, we can't rely on one group of robotic soldiers. What I wanted was a variety of classes of soldiers, so that we to take down our enemies. Private Jenkins was suppose to be the first of this new class and has proven to be of use to our cause. The end result, however, was unfortunate."

Henry looked to him strangely and wondered what he meant by that.

Henry Masterson: "Meaning…"

The three immediately stopped at a huge door as the Director started to say something.

Director: "Perhaps it's best you see if for yourself."

Entering a quick code, the metallic door started to open and they entered a dark room. As soon as they entered the room, Henry scratched his head and was a little confused. But just as he was thinking about that, the lights turned on and he could see clear as day, what he saw was surprising at best. It was a huge robot without a head that was big and bulk with blades on the back, machine guns on its hands, rocket launchers on parts of the body, and a propeller on one arm. Headmaster looked to it and didn't know what to think this time.

Henry Masterson: "Holy! What the Hell was that thing?!"

The head scientist looked to it and explained about it.

Director: "That, dead Headmaster, was once Private Jenkins. I've asked him to take part of the project to become the newest class. Everyone worked out well until my Commander here decided to increase the power output a little more during the third stage."

He turned to Rourke, wanting to get an explanation for his actions. The commander shrugged it off and gave him his reasons.

Commander Rourke: "The Autobots had breeched the Morrison dam and the first test subjects made this a whole lot worse. Had to make some difficult decisions in order to stop them."

The Director lifted his hand up and decided to let it slide.

Director: "Regardless of what happened, Jenkins, who wanted to call himself Blackout, did prove his service to us. His skills and quick thinking in that body did make for a new class to take down. Sadly, of all the strengths, that was one fatal error in all of this. You can see what happened to the head.

Masterson looked up to the top of the body and could tell there was no head present.

Henry Masterson: "I could see that. What happened?"

The Director sighed and explained what happened.

Director: "Let's just say a little miscalculation cause him to cut his own head. Fortunately, we've managed to recover the body after we blow up our previous base in the dam. Sadly we couldn't find the head. Still, we understand what mistakes were made and had to make improvements. Once we got issues resolved, we will create this new class into MECH in no time. And soon, we will have bigger things in store for the cooperation."

Headmaster turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

Henry Masterson: "Bigger things?"

The Director nodded and explained about something.

Director: "I am working on a special project Headmaster, one that will tip the scales in our favor. However, I do need the resources to start this little project and there are some things that are easy to take. Rourke?"

He turned to the commander as Rourke explained about it.

Commander Rourke: "Before the project could go off the ground, we're going to need a frame to begin construction. And to do that, we're going to need steel to begin with the construction. Looking at research, we have found one in California that can provide us with enough steel to build. They call themselves the Pohang Iron and Steel Company, or POSGO for short if you want to get more simpler."

The Director then continued with his own thoughts.

With the company, they can give us the tools needed to create this project. Since you're new to this business, you can aid my men in retrieving it. It is a simple task. I trust you can do it for me."

Masterson had that strange look in his eyes and was curious about this little errand.

Henry Masterson: "And why would I help out in something as lame as that?"

The head scientist quickly turned to him and kept this a secret for as much as he could.

Director: "Trust me when I say this Masterson, what I'm working on isn't going to be as lame as you think. So do you have a deal?"

Henry thought this long and hard and wondered what this guy was playing. However, giving that they saved his ass, he guess that he could return to favor. Turning to him, he smiled and responded to him.

Henry Masterson: "I'll do it. But only because I want to see what you're playing."

The Director heard that and was overjoyed.

Director: "Splendid. Now giving past experiences, it would be no doubt that the Autobots would come in and stop the operation. I will have my robotic soldiers to hold them back but they won't last for very long. If you want, I can take you back to Project Metamorphosis to turn you into a new class to keep our enemies at bay."

Masterson's response though was a quick wave and a simple headshake.

Henry Masterson: "Sorry, but as much as I want to be turned into your metal guys, I prefer being human thank you. However, since you got my Masterson Unit, I plan on borrowing a robot body."

The Director was a little hesitant and didn't think he could say something like that. Clearing his thought though, he decided to play along and said in a calm manner.

Director: "Very well… Which body you want to borrow, I wonder."

Headmaster rubbed his chin and pretended to figure out which body he wants. That was then he pointed his finger in front of him and said in one word…

Henry Masterson: "That…"

Both the Director and the Commander looked to what he's pointing at and could tell what he wants. And all he wanted is Blackout's armored body.

* * *

**That's all for chapter 5. And for those who are wondering who was this other guy I revealed, that's Harold Attinger, the human enemy from Age of Extinction. Thought it would be interesting in adding an enemy human character that isn't MECH and is against the Autobots. I'm thinking about giving him some appearances in future episodes, but that's for another time. Next chapter though, MECH attacks POSGO as the Autobots try to save it. But they have one obstacle in their path and it's one they are very familiar on both occasions. This one is going to be something you cannot miss. Please Review.**


	6. Familiar Face?

**Before I start this long awaited chapter, I need something to speak about. I've started to watch Transformers: Robots in Disguise and it does look promising. I mean the fact that it takes place years after Prime and focus on Bumblebee seems like a freshening concept compared to other Transformers arks. The characters are sort of a mixed bag for me though. I mean Strongarm and Sideswipe seems like good characters and would be perfect for future stories I might work on. Fix It though seems like the most annoying in the short list of annoying characters in the Transformers Universe. And the Grimlock that they had, my god… It's almost like they neglected the character model from the Beast Hunters comic book series and given him a new look and a voice that makes him almost look and sound like prehistoric Bulkhead. Other than that, still looks promising. Now I haven't watched the entire series per say yet. Have the episodes saved on the DVR and I'm saving it until I watched all of Prime, which I've done in a daily marathon. But what I heard from others, they stated that the Decepticons were mostly animal based. I try to ignore something like that since Cons are still enemies no matter what they look like. The one thing that pisses me off the most is that the show airs once on a Saturday morning at 6:30 with no chance of rerunning it in future days. That's right! They put a show that had a franchise history into a dead zone time slot while all other shows, which most are dumb by the way, get a hell of a lot more air time and have hour to two hour marathons for no reason other than to fill in time slots. Isn't this what happened years ago when Transformers Animated was pushed back to that very time slot when they were doing the third season? Isn't this the reason why TFA never saw the chance of doing a fourth season because Cartoon Network only cares about shoving retarded, dumb, and none comical shows to brainwash the youths of today? Now they're doing the same thing with RiD! They put a brand new show and of all the time slots they can put it, they decided on putting it at a time most people are still asleep! What were they thinking?! I know that they're going to put together a second season and perhaps bring back the original Prime characters from the series. But in a timeslot like that, I got a terrible feeling that this show is going to get cancelled after the first and would join the list of good shows that never lived to see the second, such as Symbiotic Titan and Tron: Uprising. But we'll see in the near future.**

**Enough discussing about the new show, let's move on what happened on the last chapter. Twenty reviews and over 1,200 hits. Gotta say, this was pretty good after a long absence. However, that said absence sort of got me a certain guest reviewer that had been nagging me for months. From time to time, this person either force me to update this story over and over again and other times he keeps demanding that I add more characters. And if just isn't enough, this guest review that post his reviews on this story, he or she did it in another story a couple of times and want to demand to update a new chapter. No positive remarks, no feedback, just someone forcing me to post a chapter of a different story. I wish there's the option of just these reviews the guest did up or flagging them, but I can't because it's a guest reviewing it. But I want to say two things before I move on. Firstly, I know that there are some fans of this story that wants an update on a continuous basis. But I can't be writing stories all day long. Look at my profile. I'm thirty-two years of age, I'm trying to graduate in college, have a morning job at some occasions, and have other things to take care of. So I'm pretty much a very busy person. Combine all of that and the other stories I'm writing down, and it's a complicated life. So I need to say it to clear some heads. I know a lot of people want me to update this story, but you all need to have some patience with me. I'll update it when I get to it. As far as characters are concerned, I'll try to get some new ones, but in future episodes. Been looking into some while checking someone who had been giving me ideas for a few. Can't be cramming too much in one go. There will be characters, but you have to wait for the surprises.**

**Now all of that is out of the way, let's move on to the next chapter of TFP S3 E3. On this chapter, a steel company is under attack by MECH as the Autobots come in to stop them. But as they were trying to, they encounter a former opponent that they thought was dead, only to come back with a new head. Will they be able to stop them?**

**Chapter Notes**

**Now Blackout is coming back, but if you remember from the first episode was beheaded by his own foolishness. So on this episode, he comes back but only as a body for someone to control. I'm sure you already know what I'm talking about.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Prime**

* * *

Chapter Six: Familiar Face?

It was another boring at the Pohang Iron and Steel Company, POSGO, in Pittsburg, California. In this said company, workers were finishing up their routines as they transport metal to construction companies across the country and doing inventory. At the security room, one of the guards was looking at the monitors to see anything suspicious. The other guard on the other hand is sitting next to him, relaxing and reading a newspaper. That said news paper has a title on the front that says, _'US Government Kept Alien War Secret: Attinger announce the lies Pentagon kept under wraps'_. Flipping through the pages, he looked to see what the article was talking about. The first one turned to him and was upset about it.

Security Guard: "Really Frank? We're finishing our shift and you decided to waste it on reading? We have a job to do, remember?"

The guard known as Frank looked to his friend and told him that it was all right.

Frank: "C'mon now Tom, can't I read the paper in peace? This Attinger guy talked about this alien war on our planet last night and the news is gobbling it up. Who would've thought that U.S. government kept this in front of the public for so long? Guess all those alien sighting sites were right about their existence. I never believed them!"

Tom rolled his eyes around and couldn't believe he would believe something like that.

Tom: "Right… Can you please get back to work? If the boss finds out your slacking, he's going to cut our salary by a quarter."

Frank looked to him and chuckled to himself.

Frank: "Please… Like anyone is stupid enough to breach here and steel some metal. Everything is in the clear. There's nothing to worry about."

Just as he said that, there was a buzzer coming from the speaker. The two got alerted by this as one Tom looked to the monitor.

Tom: "What the Hell?"

Frank put the newspaper away and stood up, approaching his friend.

Frank: "What's wrong?"

Tom looked to the security monitor and saw a small group of cars racing to the entrance of POSGO.

Tom: "Looks like a bunch of cars are heading to the entrance. Certainly doesn't look like they're here for a delivery. Let's check it out."

Tom unhooked his strap to his gun holster and exited the security station. Frank sighed and unhooks his, going after him.

* * *

Back outside, the barren street going to the steel factory was getting loud as a total of twelve green custom made sport cars were racing as they were heading to their destination. At the security checkpoint of the company, both Tom and Frank got out of their office and were behind the lift divider to let people in. Once they got out, Tom stood his ground and lifted his hand to stop them.

Tom: "Halt!"

The cars saw the two but didn't stop. Instead, they kept on speeding straight to them. Frank looked on with worry as he got his pistol out and aimed at them. Tom still holds his ground and demanded them again.

Tom: "This is a restricted area! I said halt!"

Still, they didn't stop as they were getting closer. Tom couldn't believe that they didn't listen as he was trying to stop them one last time.

Tom: "HALT!"

Still nothing. Frank could tell they won't apply the breaks, so he had to do it himself. Aiming at the first on, he fired a few shots and hit the windshield of one of the vehicles. But the windows were bulletproof as the ammo bounced off one of them. With nothing to do to stop them, both guards jumped out of the way in separate directions as the cars sped past them and broke through the divider. Once they were in the clear, they got back to their position and shoot their pistols at the same time, trying to take out the tires. But they were so far away as they headed to the factory. The two looked at the cars leaving and turned to each other in disbelief.

Frank: "Well, that was unexpected…"

Tom turned to him and told him to shut up.

Tom: "Shut it Frank. This little slip up is going to deduce our paychecks. I don't know if that's going to be embarrassing for our career."

Just as he said that, two more sports cars appeared behind them and came up from behind. The moment they stopped, they soon transformed and turned into two huge robots. The two heard the sound of gears shifting and turned to see what it was. When they turned around, they saw two huge green robots aiming their machine gun blasters at them. The two looked to this in shock as Frank corrected his friend.

Frank: "Actually Tom, this is the most embarrassing in our career."

* * *

At the company, a small group of workers were moving around steel as they are getting ready end their shift. Just as they were working, they could hear cars coming from outside the corporation. Turning to that direction, they saw these sports cars heading towards them and entering the main courtyard. Immediately, they around grouped around the empty spot and made an abrupt stop. Everyone gathered around the multiple cars and wondered what are they doing there. Just then, the passenger and back doors opened and a huge group of soldiers with highly technological rifles and masks and goggles over their heads. Everyone looked to at this as a shocker and backed away, wondering who they are and what they're doing here. Just then, the passenger side at the front of the car opened up and a person without a mask stepped out. He looked to be a man in his mid fifties with white hair that was a V shape in the front, a muscled build for a military soldier, and a rugged tough look that makes him a true soldier. He was wearing a metallic armor combat vest loaded with ammo and grenades over his gray military shirt, dark green military pants with metallic knee pads, and combat style boots. On his left leg is a mechanical brace that goes up to his knee to help him to walk normally. It was obvious that it was Commander Rourke, one of the commanders of MECH and the right hand man of the Director. He looked around the group and could tell that this is what they're looking for.

Commander Rourke: "I'm looking for the one in charge of this facility. Who's the head of POSGO?"

The workers looked at each other and was very quiet about this. Just then one of the men approached the commander and was wearing a work hat and holding a clipboard.

Head of POSGO: "I'm the one. What can I do for you?"

Rourke turned to him and smirked.

Commander Rourke: "Good, this is the POSGO Corporation, isn't it?"

The head of the company raised an eyebrow and answered truthfully.

Head of POSGO: "Why yes, this is that said company. Who wants to know?"

Commander Rourke: "Let's just say my client is in the market for a certain type of steel that is strong enough to handle… the most extreme conditions. Now from what I can recall, this company of yours can produce the strongest steel yet. My client would like to have some of that steel. That is if you accept our agreement."

Everyone looked to each other and started to whisper about these people. The person in charge of the company didn't buy it as he demanded some questions.

Head of POSGO: "Wait just a damn second. Who is this client you're referring to? I cannot have you purchase my steel unless I get a name."

The commander chuckled for a little bit as he told him that he got it all wrong.

Commander Rourke: "Oh you are mistaken, my friend. We're not here to purchase your steel; we're here to take it."

Now the person in charge was a little pissed off and decided to tell them to leave.

Head of POSGO: "Now if you think that you come to steal my steel, you got another thing coming. Now I'm going to ask all of you to leave right now or I'll call the cops on you."

Rourke could tell that this person wasn't happy, so he decided to pull out all the stops.

Commander Rourke: "I don't you think you know who you're missing with."

This person crossed his arms and was silent about this group.

Head of POSGO: "Really? Cause I find it hardly unlikely that you and your boys can handle that much steel. So why don't you go back in your little cars, turn around, and go back to where you came from?"

The commander knew this guy was in for a surprise and decided to reveal it.

Commander Rourke: "Gentlemen."

As soon as he said that, the cars started to break apart and expand, transforming into huge robots armed with automatic blasters. Everyone looked on and were in complete shock and didn't know what to think of it. In a matter of seconds, everything changed at those sports cars turned into robotic soldiers. The moment everyone, including the boss, got startled, Rourke got his attention and decided to begin the demands.

Commander Rourke: "Now, where were we? Ah yes… That's right… Your toughest steel metal, now…"

As soon as he said that, the sound of choppers were heard from above. The head of the company looked up and saw a bunch of wide helicopters and were advance with magnetic cranes attached to their bottoms. Seeing them lowered, he could tell that they really mean business. Fortunately, someone within the building saw this and called 911 for help before the unexpected happened. That person didn't know that the military eavesdropped on that call and could hear everything on the line.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Autobot base in Lake Eerie, everything was quiet as the team was either at the main hub or training. But during that time, one lone Autobot was walking down the barrack halls to reach his room after a long day of training with Optimus. All that practice in controlling his Prime ability has been a rough one for Jack, as trying to hold it through this Cybertronian form of meditation seems a little frustrating. Now that that's over, he can return to his quarters and take a break until the next training session starts.

Just as he was reaching his room, he passed a certain door and stopped. Looking to this door, he knew who it belonged to. Arcee… Ever since that incident at Sumdac Systems, she had started to become distant to him. It's almost like she doesn't want to see him again, even after they expressed their own love for each other after rescuing Optimus at Darkmount. It didn't make sense as to why she would do that to him. But lately, Raf came up to him and explained why. He spoke to him about what Wheeljack said to him before. That Optimus used to have a relationship with the femme's older sibling, Elita-One, back when he was once Orion Pax. When he turned into a Prime, he started to drift away from Elita for fear that Megatron would know about his relationship with her and use her as a hostage or worse. That's why Arcee acted like that, that she was feeling what Elita was feeling. It must be hard for her to actually accept that that a new Prime would abandon her. But the reality is, he wouldn't abandon her. All he wants is for her to be happy with him. Now that all of this happened, she thinks that Rodimus betrayed her or something. He has to make things right, and fast. Approaching the door, he took a deep breath through his exhaustion system and slowly knocked on the door, wondering if she was there.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Arcee? Are you in there? It's me, Jack. Can you please open the door? I need to talk to you."

He waited for a response on the other side. But as he was waiting, no one didn't open the door. Feeling a little worry, he knocked again.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Arcee! I know you're in there. I haven't seen you around the base as of late. Open this door. I'm not mad or anything. I just want to talk to you."

Still no answer. Jack looked puzzled by this and wondered where she was. Perhaps she was somewhere else in the base or something. Feeling a little depressed, he decided to pretend Arcee was there and spoke to the door.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Listen, Arcee, I know you're mad. I know that you're upset about the fact that I have to train and keep my ability in check. I can't blame you. I had to practice in order to control my Prime state; otherwise I would go berserk and cause more problems just like what happened in Detroit. But it is not my decision. Optimus is the one that decided that I needed to train, I just had to accept it."

He remained quiet and thought of something else to say. Just then, he remembered about what Raf said and told her about it.

Jack/Rodimus: "Look, Raf told me about what happened when your sister and Optimus was a couple before the war. I know that Optimus wanted to distant himself with her because of Megatron finding out about them. I'm sorry your sister had to go through all of that. But you can't go through what she had gone through. You can't just distant yourself; close yourself like what happened to your last two partners. Sure I might have changed and I'm now following Optimus's footsteps, but I'm still Jack Darby on the inside. I still care for you, from the high and the lows. No matter what happens, what I have to go through, I still love you. I will always love you."

As soon as he finished with what he was saying, he banged his head on the door and felt like that sounded wrong in his head. What he didn't know is that someone was actually listening. At the other side of the door, Arcee had her back to it and heard every word in her audio receptors. When she heard about the Elita and Optimus incident and after that, her spark skipped a beat and realized that he still cared for her. Placing her servo to her chest plate, she sighed and was in a dead silent while a stray energon tear came down her cheek. As she felt something to him, the alarm sound as the red light started to blare.

Ratchet: _"Attention all Autobots! Report to the command center on the double! Fowler is on the line with an emergency mission!"_

Arcee heard that and knew there's trouble. Jack heard that on the other side of the door and had to get to the main hub immediately. As he ran far from the door to get to the command center, Arcee opened the door and looked to him leave. Lowering her head to sigh, she started to feel apologetic to him.

Arcee: "Jack, I forgive you."

She then followed Jack and ran to him as quick as she could.

* * *

In the command center, Ratchet was on the computers as he sent the message to the team. As he was waiting, all of Team Prime came as fast as they could and joined at the main hub. Wheeljack was a little aggravated as he complained when he came to command.

Wheeljack: "This better be important, Doc. I'm a little busy tuning up the Jackhammer."

Ratchet turned to him and nodded in understanding.

Ratchet: "Oh, it's important all right."

He then turned to the one of the monitors as Fowler was it.

Ratchet: "Everyone's present, Agent Fowler."

The agent looked to them and was pleased of their arrival.

Agent Fowler: _"At ease, Team Prime. We've got a situation in our hands."_

Smokescreen crossed his arms and asked about this situation.

Smokescreen: "Let me guess… This Attinger guy aired more dirty laundry at us? He's certainly doing a good job in giving folks the negative side of things."

Will narrowed his eyes and told them that wasn't the case.

Agent Fowler: _"No, thank goodness. I already got agents looking after him in case he makes his next move. So far, he already got invites in talk shows and news stations. But that's the least of our worries."_

Bulkhead: "Well then, what is it?"

The former Army Ranger started to ask a simple question.

Agent Fowler: _"How many of you know of POSGO?"_

Everyone looked to each other and had no clue on that word. However, Raf knew about them and asked it.

Raf/Firewall: "You mean the Pohang Iron and Steel Company. I heard about them. They are one of the leading steel producing companies in the United States."

Agent Fowler: _"That's absolutely correct, Raf. Well apparently they are having some serious trouble. Just moments ago, the FBI tapped into a 911 call of workers being taken hostage. Details of it were sketchy as first as the call stated that huge robots were attacking the place."_

Everyone was a little silent as Arcee was the first to speak up.

Arcee: "So… What are you trying to say? That Decepticons are attacking industrial areas?"

That question left the medic a little bewildered.

Ratchet: "Oh please… Like Megatron is interested in harvesting Earth metals, let alone keeping humans alive."

Fowler though decided to clear their heads of that conclusion as he had evidence.

Agent Fowler: _"Actually, that's what I first thought. Thankfully, few of the boys here managed to obtain some video evidence through the security cameras. Have a look at this."_

The screen next to Fowler showed two popup windows with video feeds. One from the security checkpoint, the other from the main courtyard. The team looked at the videos and wondered what they were seeing. After looking at the two videos, they noticed something they didn't think would happen. A bunch of green and black sports cars raced past the checkpoint of the first video while the other two remained behind and transformed, pointing their blasters at the two security guards. The second video showed the remaining cars making a complete stop as foot soldiers got out and pointed their weapons at the workers. But the one soldier they spotted was Commander Rourke as he got out of the car and spoke to the person in charge of the company. With the two videos paused, the team watched on and knew who these people were as Cee had a poisonous sound out of her voice box.

Arcee: "MECH…"

The others looked on in shock as the new Prime responded to this as well.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "They're back?"

Fowler nodded as he continued explaining about their presence.

Agent Fowler: _"Indeed they are, Jack. It would seem they have pushed the envelope in making their presence known."_

When everyone knew the situation, they could hear the voice of their own leader from close by.

Optimus Prime: "So they are MECH's latest forms of weaponry."

The team turned to see Optimus being rolled into the room on a Cybertronian wheelchair with June pushing him. Looking at the two MECHicons on the first video, he had a deep glare in his optics.

Optimus Prime: "They turn their own soldiers into Cybertronian copies. MECH are more truly vial then I once imagined."

June look down to him and told him how it got started.

June/Altra: "And the kids and I were the guinie pigs in the Director's experiment. The thought of that still give me nightmares."

Bulk then turned to the leader and told them what else they did to them.

Bulkhead: "Not to mention taking the rest of us in and extracted any Cybertronian Intel they can get their hands on. Who knows how much information they've managed to obtain."

Ratchet turned to the group and nodded in agreement.

Ratchet: "After what we all had to go through with those human Cons, the Director's little project makes Silas's Chimera look more like a toy robot."

Agent Fowler decided to break the conversation and told them straight away.

Agent Fowler: _"As much as put blame on them in the past, this is a serious situation we're in the middle of. Not only have they taken over POSGO, but they are also holding those people hostage. This is something we cannot ignore."_

Everyone listened in and knew this was a grave situation, yet were confused about MECH's new intensions.

Arcee: "Still doesn't make any sense as to why they are attacking a steel producing company and taking workers hostage. Thought MECH is interested in taking highly advance weaponry. Why do they want to take everyday steel?"

Fowler: _"Good guess, is that not all weapons are complete. Sometimes they would take a specific type of material to make a weapon."_

Everyone heard that as they remembered previous MECH actions.

Bulkhead: "That's right! Like when they took Breakdown and dissect him to understand Cybertronian biology."

Bumblebee: _**(And when they took my T-Cog.)**_

Smokescreen: "So, what do they want with the steel in that place?"

Agent Fowler: _"Whatever they want with it. Whatever the case, we need to stop MECH from whatever they're planning. The boys in the office are keeping the police away from the building and keeping the news media out of this. The last thing we want is Attinger getting video evidence and making it a negative. It's best you do this as quickly as possible before the authorities decided to come in."_

Optimus listened in and knew this is going to be a risky mission.

Optimus Prime: "Understood, Agent Fowler. I'll send the team to rescue the hostage and stop MECH."

Fowler nodded and completed the call.

Agent Fowler: _"Make it quick. Can't have Attinger making our situation worse than it already is. Fowler, out."_

The screen then went to static as the Autobot leader looked to his friend.

Optimus Prime: "Ratchet, do you have the bridge co ordinance to this steel company?"

The medic started to type in the location of POSGO and pinpointed the exact location. After searching for this place, he found the exact spot and turned to the leader to deliver the news.

Ratchet: "Co ordinance are locked in, Optimus. Looks like this place is located in Pittsburg, California. Thankfully, there are no cities close by. Can't have another fiasco like what happened in Detroit."

Rodimus looked back after hearing it and was a little silent about that incident.

Ratchet: "I can bridge you close to POSGO, but not inside. MECH sees you, then you're good as terminated."

Once he got the co ordinance set, Prime looked to the team and gave them the orders.

Optimus: "Autobots, this is a serious mission we have to handle discretely. With hostages, we need to stop them while not harming the humans. Arcee, since I'm still recovering from the injuries, you will be in charge of the mission."

The two-wheeler turned to him and nodded in agreement. Turning to the team, she told them what to do.

Arcee: "All right, the first order of business is getting into the facility without getting detected. Giving how many Con copies, it could be a little difficult getting by."

Everyone looked to each other and wondered what to do. Just then, Wheeljack came in and came up with a really good solution.

Wheeljack: "How about another distraction."

Everyone look to him and was curious about it.

Arcee: "Excuse me, Wheeljack? What part of getting in without detection didn't you understand?"

The Wrecker turned to the femme and explained his reason.

Wheeljack: "Whoa now missy, just hear me out. You said you guys need to get in without getting spotted. With these MECHicons in that place, it could be a little difficult. But with a proper distraction, everyone would focus on me and the Wreckers while the rest of you go in without those goons seeing you."

Kaosu looked to him and was smiling wide.

Miko/Kaosu: "Oh yeah! Full frontal assault on MECH! I call first dibs!"

Cee raised an optic ridge and was a little curious.

Arcee: "I don't know about this, Wheeljack."

The Wrecker shrugged his shoulders and told them it's the wisest option.

Wheeljack: "Hey, you want to go in and get spotted or do you want a few of us keeping them busy while the rest of you are unharmed? As long at the Wreckers can hold them off, you might be able to stand a chance."

There was a bit of silence as Arcee gave it some thought. The mission was suppose to stop MECH and rescue the hostages. This little distraction would cause a bit of trouble. Turning to Optimus, she wants to know if it's a better strategy. The Prime thought this through and decided it's a wise idea.

Optimus Prime: "We must use everything in our power to complete this mission."

Hearing that, she decided to let it slide and turned back to the Wrecker.

Arcee: "Very well, Wheeljack. You want to blast some things, do what you do best. Just don't get killed on our watch."

Jackie smirked to himself and turned to the others of the good news.

Wheeljack, "Well, you heard the lady. Let's wreck some scrap!"

Both Bulk and Miko were pleased and they were excited. Bulk pounds his fist with anticipation.

Bulkhead: "It's Wrecking Time! Ready to go Miko?"

Miko then stretched her arms and agreed with him.

Miko/Kaosu: "You know it Bulk. It's time to bring the chaos!"

But before they could do anything, Arcee reminded them of one thing.

Arcee: "But leave only minimal damage. We can't have half the property destroyed like what happened at Sumdac Systems."

The Japanese femme turned to her and made a bit of a pout.

Miko/Kaosu: "Aw…"

Bulk turned to his friend and patted her on the back. Of course it's the Wreckers way as the pat of a punch as she was pushed forward for a bit.

Bulkhead: "Don't sweat it kiddo. Once we find some Cons, we'll blow off some steam."

Miko was a little surprised by the pat, but turned and gave off a bit of a smile. Arcee then looked to the others as she finished with her own orders.

Arcee: "As for the rest of you, we split into two teams. Bumblebee and Firewall, you free the hostages. Smokescreen, you're with me in stopping what MECH is trying to steal. We have to put a stop to their plans, whatever they are."

The others looked on and nodded in agreement. But then, Jack felt he was being left out for some reason. Approaching her, he asked about it.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Arcee, wait! What about me? What am I suppose to do?"

Arcee turned to him and gave him an answer, but not what he wanted.

Arcee: "Sorry Jack, but Optimus is still training you in controlling your abilities. We can't have you on missions until your training is complete. Remain in the base while we handle the mission."

Jack was a little surprised that she wouldn't let him get involved. Yet he understood that after Detroit, he can't go berserk and trash half the place. Still, he was insistent as he kept asking.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "You're sure about that. I mean, you could use some back up in case things get worse."

Arcee placed her hands on her hips and told him that it was all right.

Arcee: "As much as I want you to help us in our mission, we can handle it ourselves. Besides, it's just MECH, nothing we can handle. Unless they have a Predacon of their own, then will ask for you assistance."

Rodimus gave a bit of a smirk and could tell that she was joking around. Still he felt a little left out at the fact that they're going without him. But training comes first, so he needs to do what Optimus tells him to do. Knowing they can handle it, he looked to the femme and said with a worry expression.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Be careful out there, okay?"

Arcee nodded and give off a bit of a smirk. Sure she sort of distant herself from him due to the leader's training, but after hearing him say all those things at the other end of the door, she slowly starting to warm back up to him. Still, she has to remain cool and collective until things go back to normal. Looking to him, she told him that he got it.

Arcee: "Please… I've been careful all of my life. This will be a piece of an energon cube."

Jack gave a simple nod as he got the feeling that something bad was going to come. As soon as the goodbye's are made, the femme turned to Ratchet and requested a bridge.

Arcee: "Ratchet, Bridge us to those co ordinance."

The medic nodded as he started to input the location of POSGO into the ground bridge hub. Pulling down the lever, the tunnel at the end hummed to life as the rings started to glow. Immediately, the portal begins to open as the combination of blue and green energy swirled around. Once the bridge is online, Arcee turned to the others as they all lined up.

Arcee: "All right Autobots, time to show the humans that Team Prime isn't as bad as the media claims we are. Transform and roll out!"

Immediately, the group started to run to the portal and then jumped, transforming into the alt forms and speeding right through the bridge. Once they all made it through, the bridge closed and the tunnel was silent. Rodimus looked to the empty bridge and gave off a deep sigh.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "I should've been with them…"

As he said that, he heard his mother's voice from behind.

June/Altra: "Jack…"

The new Prime turned to see his mom and she told him it was all right.

June/Altra: "I know that you really want to help the team, but giving your new gift you have been given, it would make things complicated. Until Optimus is done with your training, then you will join the others."

Rodimus though turned his head away and started to think about that.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "I know, I know… It's just that I feel hopeless now that Arcee going on her own. I mean sure she has the team with her, but she would need her partner to watch her back. And I am the one that fit the bill, right?"

June/Altra: "True… Still, the fact that you are a new Prime means you have to have responsibilities with your new found ability. Although you saved everyone when that huge dragon nearly ripped us to sheds, there were going to be some consequences along the way."

Just then, Optimus started to talk when June was finished.

Optimus Prime: "Your mother does have to point, Jack. While you saved everyone from the clutches of the Predacon, including myself, you didn't foresee what this power you possess can do. Which is why training your body and mind are essential in becoming what you are. Until you can go on missions with the team, you need to learn to control your Prime ability."

Jack looked to him and asked him about that.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "And how long will that take? Huh? From what I know, this training thing could take months, years, hell, even centuries! I don't know how long it took for you to train under your own, but I don't want to sit around here doing nothing."

The Autobot leader nodded and knew that he was getting impatient.

Optimus Prime: "I'm fully aware of that. But this training requires patience. You need to understand that."

Jack was completely silent as he decided to head back to his barrack with a sour expression.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "I'm going back to my room to rest. Let me know if anything happened."

As soon as he left, Ratchet looked to the conversation and shrugged it off.

Ratchet: "Pft… Young Primes… Can't control them, can't live without them."

Both Altra and Optimus looked to the medic and gave him a deep stare. Ratchet though looked to them and could tell they were glaring right at him.

Ratchet: "What?"

* * *

Moments later, the night sky has taken over as the stars started to shine. On the ground, it was quiet in the forested area California as the creatures were sleeping in for the night. Just then, a green and blue portal appeared within a clearing as multiple vehicles came out of it. It was obvious that it was Team Prime as the group left the bridge to begin the mission. Once they were out, they all transformed one after the other as deployed their weapons and scanned the area in case any MECHicons were close by. Knowing that there was none; Arcee relaxed and told them to stand down.

Arcee: "Clear."

As they retracted their weapons, the femme activated her comm. to contact Ratchet.

Arcee: "Arcee to base; we have reached Pittsburgh, California. Where is MECH located?"

She waited for a response until she got one from the medic.

Ratchet: _"The steel company you're looking for is two miles down east. But you better make haste. I fear of what MECH has planned for the hostages, let alone what are they're going to do with that steel."_

Arcee nodded and knew the orders.

Arcee: "Copy that. Out."

Once she turned off the comm., she turned to the others and gave the command.

Arcee: "You heard Ratchet. Move out!"

Quickly, the group headed to the east in a quick run. Giving how far they were, they need to quicken the pace before MECH does something more diabolical.

* * *

Back within the POSGO Steel company, MECH has taken over the facility temporarily as they have everything under control. Multiple MECHicons were in the courtyard, keeping watch for any help coming. Within the facility, regular MECH soldiers were in the cafeteria as the workers and security officers were held hostage, with their wrists and legs taped up and their eyes blind folded. Meanwhile, Commander Rourke was with the head of POSGO in the docking/storage area with two soldiers following them. The head of this company was explaining about all this steel.

Head of POSGO: "As you can see, we've been making and distributing all this steel for construction companies and car manufacturers all across the US and the rest of the world. Of course, this is a global corporation as we have factories in the Philippines and Korea. And with a really good payment of our clients, we do tend to keep our clients happy with the steel they need. But you're client, whoever he is, certainly wants whatever steel you need, giving that he's not interested in paying us."

He then looked back to see one of the soldiers still pointing his rifle at him and was getting a little nervous. Trying not to get hurt, he turned to the Commander and asked about this client.

Head of POSGO: "Exactly who this client that wants so much steel. Just curious is all."

Rourke looked to the head of the company and kept the identity of the Director a secret.

Commander Rourke: "My client wants to be discrete of his identity. I can't let everyone know of him."

The head of the company nodded and decided to keep his mouth shut.

Head of POSGO: "But of course… So, what type of steel does your client want? Any type of steel he needs in particular?"

The commander looked to the type of steel they would need while answering his request.

Commander Rourke: "As I said before, my client is interested in one type of steel that can handle the most extreme conditions. I'm just hoping whatever you have to fit my client's criteria."

He kept searching the area to find the steel the Director needs. After much searching, he found the steel they were looking for.

Commander Rourke: "Ah… There it is."

He then walked down to a wide section of steel that was two stories wall and forty feet wide. The head of the company looked to this and was in a state of shock.

Head of POSGO: "No! Wait! Not that! That Tungsten is being sent to Dubai for a new building they're constructing. None of which cannot be wasted!"

The commander felt the steel of the Tungsten and was pleased with it all.

Commander Rourke: "Then I hope whoever's in charge of construction won't mind if we borrow some."

Head of POSGO: "You can't do that! That steel is private property! I cannot allow you to-"

Before he could finish, one of the soldiers aim the rifle at the back of the head of the company and fired an electrical charge at him. The person got electrical shock as he convulsed and collapsed on the floor. Down and out, the commander turned to the two and gave them the orders.

Commander Rourke: "Take him to the cafeteria with the others. Keep close on everyone and make sure that they don't make any funny movements. We cannot have anyone play the hero."

The two soldiers's nodded as they picked up the unconscious boss and dragged him to the cafeteria with the others. With them leaving, he approached the garage door while contacting the head of MECH's Science Division.

Commander Rourke: "Director, this is Rourke. We have located the steel you needed for Project Noah."

He waited for a response until he heard the Director's voice on the other end.

Director: _"Excellent work, commander. Bring me as much Tungsten as you can carry. I'm going to need enough to get my project into fruition."_

The commander nodded as he approached the console.

Commander Rourke: "Of course, Director. Preparing extraction now."

To that, he pushed the button and console and the huge and wide garage door started to open. As it fully opened, a small group of MECHicons were on standby while the helicopters with chopper blades on the top front and back and magnets at the bottom were behind them. Seeing them, the commander gave them a direct order.

Commander Rourke: "Tungsten has been located. Take as much as you can. The Director needs enough for his project to work."

The MECHicons nodded in agreement as they entered the storage room to begin taking the Tungsten.

* * *

Close to the manufacturing company, the Autobots were reaching their destination as they moved in a fast pace. Smokescreen and Bumblebee went ahead and had their blasters armed as they stopped periodically in the event of MECH soldiers were around. Once they knew they were alone, they kept on rushing ahead while the rest weren't behind. Arcee was walking in a brisk pace while she looked on to see if they were close.

Arcee: "Keep up the pace, Team. We're getting close."

The group kept on running as they get close to their goal. During that run, Raf started to approach her and asked about her relationship with Jack.

Raf/Firewall: "So, Arcee, how are things with you and Rodimus?"

The two-wheeler looked to him while brisking through the forest, wondering where he was going with this.

Arcee: "Raf, now is not the time speak about personal life."

Raf/Firewall: "Just wondering is all. I mean with all that's been happening for the past couple of days, I was hoping how are things with you and him."

The femme peeked back and decided to keep it all a secret.

Arcee: "Look, I understand you are concerned about your friend. But now isn't the time for talk. We must focus on stopping MECH and freeing the hostages. We don't have time in talking about my relationship with Jack."

Cee kept walking as she wanted to reach the place and be finished before she knows it. The hacker though didn't want to give up though as he continued the talks.

Raf/Firewall: "Look Arcee, I know your relationship with Jack is starting to get rocky. But you can't be distancing yourself with him, just like how Optimus distance himself with your sister."

That's when the femme made a dead stop and heard that last statement. Turning back to the hacker, she was a bit irate over that.

Arcee: "And who told you about that?"

Raf was a little silent, as he asked one name.

Raf/Firewall: "It was Wheeljack."

The two-wheeler turned to the Wrecker was giving off a bit of a glare to him. Jackie looked to her starring him down and laughed a little nervously.

Wheeljack: "Heh, heh… What can I say? Your relationship was just like Optimus and Elita before the war. Someone needed to talk about that."

She was seething and didn't think someone would share that type of information. She quickly took a breather and turned to see the other Bots stopped walking and looked to her for an explanation. Looking to all of them, she sighed and decided to let them in on something."

Arcee: "You're right… I've been distancing myself from Jack for some time, but only intentionally. I do care about him, I really do, but when Optimus decided to teach him due to the incident in Detroit, I was angry. Angry at the fact that our leader is teaching Rodimus to be just like him, forcing him not to love me. I've been keeping this to myself for a long time until… he spoke to me."

The group listened in and wondered what she meant by that. The femme turned her head away and told them what she heard.

Arcee: "Jack came by my door just today and told me that no matter what happens, he will always be the Jack I knew and love. That he will always love me and would never let go of me. Of course, I had the door closed on him and I was listening on the others side. But a part of me wanted to open the door and say that all is forgiven. Yet another part of me felt that I still need to play with him, pretend that I don't care anymore. I feel so conflicted by my decision and I don't know what to do."

Everyone looked to the femme and didn't know what to do with that. Arcee was pretty much a strict femme when it comes to a battlefield. But for personal feelings, it's always an up and down battle for due to the loss of her two partners. And now the fact that she's forcing herself to distant with Jack could make her feel worse for wares. Raf could see her turn away and was contemplating on her actions and had to do something to make her feel better. So he approached her and spoke about what she would actually do.

Raf/Firewall: "Look, Arcee, I can imagine the toll you're going through. But you can't keep this a secret forever in front of Jack. You know that Jack is still young to train and Prime knows it too. Just simply admit that you were doing this intentionally and apologize. Then before you know it, you two can be together again. I'm certain that he'll understand."

Arcee looked to the hacker and found his words of wisdom kind of surprising. That's when she turned a little and started to snicker. Firewall looked to her strangely and wondered why she fined it so funny.

Raf/Firewall: "What?"

The femme simply turned to him and told him about how he acted in his age.

Arcee: "Those are some wise words, coming from a kid who is twelve years old."

Raf simply shrugged it off and told her his reasons of saying that.

Raf/Firewall: "Hey, my mama watches a lot of soap operas for as long as I can remember. Some of the actresses go through the same thing you're doing. And for the record, I'm twelve and a quarter."

Cee simply laughed it off and decided to follow his advice.

Arcee: "I will… Thanks…"

Firewall smiled and knew that she'll do that. As all of that was settled, they heard the voice of Smokescreen from close by.

Smokescreen: "Hey! What's the hold up?"

The group turned to the direction of the voice and saw Smokescreen looking at them with Bumblebee close by. The two-wheeler simply shrugged it off and told him that everything is all right.

Arcee: "Nothing, Smoke. Just tying up some loose ends is all."

The Elite Guard member looks to her strangely and decided to ignore that.

Smokescreen: "Right… Well, if you're done there, Bee and I think we found the place. This way."

The two then went on ahead while the others decided to leave it at that and went after them. Going through the forest, they saw a wide clearing and had to go through it. That's when they spotted a huge company with corporate buildings at the front and a huge factory structure in the back that was billowing out smoke. Noticing they're out in the open, they all got down and were on the clearing of a cliff. Arcee was next to Smokescreen as he was looking at the view through his binoculars.

Arcee: "So this is POSGO, the best steel company in the U.S. Gotta say, this place certainly is a big deal."

Smokescreen got a closer look with his binoculars and noticed something not good.

Smokescreen: "Yeah? Well it looks like they got some uninvited company. Have a look."

He then handed the femme the binoculars as she got a hold of them. Taking a look at what he was seeing, she saw what they're up against. Out in the open are MECHicons keeping heavy watch and normal MECH soldiers rounding up the last of the workers into the factory. Looking at the back, she saw a bunch of choppers looking ready to leave as more MECHicons were starting to bring out some steel. Looking to all of this, she assess the situation.

Arcee: "Scrap… Looks like Fowler's assumptions were correct. MECH have definitely taken over the place. We got MECHicons all over the courtyard keeping watch, human soldiers taking in hostages, and more of those Con wannabies transporting steel of some kind into those choppers. We have to put a stop to them quick before they get away."

Miko watched on too and was eager to fight.

Miko/Kaosu: "So, what's the plan?"

Arcee smirked and told her about the plan.

Arcee: "The usual… We go in, stop MECH, free the hostages, and foil whatever plans the Director has."

Bumblebee looked to the armada just at the courtyard and was a little nervous about that.

Bumblebee: _**(Won't be too easy… MECH certainly got the numbers against us.)**_

The femme turned to the scout and told him that she got it.

Arcee: "That's where the distraction comes into play."

She quickly turned to the Wreckers and told them to do their work.

Arcee: "All right you three, you're up. Keep them all preoccupied while we sneak in. Remember…"

Wheeljack waved it off and finished what she was saying.

Wheeljack: "Leave minimal damage. Got it. Come on you two; let's show these clowns what happened when they mess with the best."

Both Bulk and Kaosu nodded in unison as the Wrecking Cadet fist pumped into the air.

Miko/Kaosu: "Oh yeah! It's go time! Last one to the place gets to clean the Jackhammer for a week!"

She then jumped off the ledge and skied down the hill with just her pedes. Wheeljack saw her go and decided to catch up with her.

Wheeljack: "Hold on there girl! We didn't agree to anything like that!"

He then jumped off and skidded after the cadet, with Bulkhead following behind. With them gone, Arcee looked to the rest of the team and told them to wait.

Arcee: "Now all we have to do is sit here and wait for the fireworks to start."

Raf then turned to her and asked about this type of plan.

Raf/Firewall: "You do realize that we're relying on a group that handles explosives in a stop and rescue mission, right? I don't know if a bunch of Wreckers could make our situations better or worse."

The two-wheeler simply waved it off and told him that it was all right.

Arcee: "Relax. If we know the Wreckers, they're best in keeping the enemy off our backs."

* * *

Within the main courtyard of POSGO, the MECHicons were on high alert as they look for any signs of hostile activity. As they were searching, one of them was curious about this mission and asked one of them.

MECHicon 1: "Hey, can ask you something?"

The second soldier turned to him and was a little curious.

MECHicon 2: "Go ahead, but I don't think I have the answer you're looking for."

The first one took a moment to think and decided to ask anyways.

MECHicons 1: "What are we doing in this place? This is just a steel manufacturing district, not a weapons depot. Thought I signed up to grab some high tech WMDs, not crossing a scientist's grocery list."

The other soldier turned to him and told him why they're here.

MECHicon 2: "The Director said that he needed materials to build this new project of his. You know how these scientist types are, they love to be picky on what they want."

MECHicon 1: "Seems like a waste if you ask me. Breaking into a facility and rounding up hostages only to grab some strong steel seems like a reach. What type of project does he want with all of this steel?"

The second MECHicon shrugged his shoulders and answered back.

MECHicon 2: "Sorry pal, that's classified."

MECHicon 1: "Hmph… Classified my ass. We came to this organization for some serious payback! Instead we are just doing nothing but salvaging for sup-"

As he was about to finish, something hit him by the metal foot and laid there. The MECHicon look down to the floor to see a cylinder like object and picked it up. Inspecting it, he was curious and told the other robot soldier about it.

MECHicon 1: "Hey! What's this?"

The second MECHicon turned to him and was curious of what he said.

MECHicon 2: "What's what?"

MECHicon 1: "This! Stupid thing landed near my feet and is making a strange beeping noise. Is it some kind of new school pager or something?"

The soldier gave off a deep sigh and checked on that unknown object he was holding. Getting a closer look, he noticed some type of gage in a strange language he doesn't know about. But the color was glowing green as it went on and off on a few occasions. Taking a closer look at it, he could see that the blinking just got faster and realized what it was.

MECHicon 2: "Grenade! Hit the deck!"

The robotic soldier made a run for it as the others soon followed what he said. The first MECHicon, however, stood there and was perplexed by that reaction.

MECHicon 1: "Grenade? What grenade? This doesn't look like a grenade. Does it?"

As soon as he asked that question, the beeping stopped as the color of the lights changed to red. Looking to the red light, he could tell that he made the biggest mistake of his life.

MECHicon 1: "Oh mother fu-"

Before he could even finish, the grenade exploded in his hand and blew him up into a million pieces.

* * *

Inside the building, multiple human soldiers were on guard duty in the cafeteria, keeping watch on the workers and security guards they rallied and tied up. Suddenly, they heard an explosion from close by as the foundation started to shake. Everyone looked up to the lights that were swaying back and forth and was a bit confused about what just happened.

* * *

In the storage and docking area of the company, Rourke could see the MECHicons moving the Tungsten to the choppers as they placed them underneath their bellies, letting the magnets connect to them. So far, everything is going smoothly as there was no sign of any incidents. But then, he heard the same explosion everyone did and feel the ground on his feet shake a little bit. The MECHicons felt that too and wonder about that noise as well. Feeling a little nervous, he started to contact the team outside about the situation.

Commander Rourke: "All units, report."

* * *

Out of the courtyard, all the MECHicons were away from the blast that left a huge crater and pieces of metal debris that was once the soldier holding the grenade. The second one got up and was in a bit of a daze. Just then, he could hear the commander's voice through his comm. link.

Commander Rourke: _"Report. What happened out there?"_

The metal soldier heard that and turned on his comm. responding back.

MECHicon 2: "Commander, there was a huge explosion within the main courtyard. Only one casualty. We have reason to believe that the area is under attack!"

Just as soon as he said it, there were a few blaster shots and took out three to four men followed by rockets hitting a few others. The remaining group was caught by surprise by that and didn't know what just occurred. Suddenly, they heard a female voice not far from them.

Miko/Kaosu: "Really? You're under attack? Wonder what gave that away?"

Every MECHicon looked up to the direction of the voice and saw three huge bots standing on the edge of one of the buildings. Those three were Bulkhead, Kaosu, and Wheeljack, the Wreckers. Jackie gave off a sly smirk and decided to lead the attack.

Wheeljack: "All right Wreckers, let's teach these wannabes how real bots fight!"

He then closed off his mouth guard and removed his Katana swords on his back. Bulkhead and Kaosu did the same as they deployed their wrecking balls and gravity hammers. To that end, they jumped in different directions to take one their own targets. Wheeljack of course picked the one contacting the Commander as he warned him as quick as he could while firing his machine gun blaster at him.

MECHicon 2: "Shit! We got Autobots! They've infiltrated the courtyard! We need back-"

As he was going to finish, Wheeljack blocked off each shot with his skillful moves of the swords before rushing right to him in the air to chop his head off. The cut itself was clean as the head rolled on the floor while the neckline was sparking before the body itself fell to the floor and laid there motionless.

* * *

Back in the storage room, Rourke heard most of it before communication went dead. But he got enough to know that MECH's own enemy has entered the area in an attempt to stop the Director's project. That's something he can't ignore. Getting his comm. on, he contacted any units outside and ordered them to assist.

Commander Rourke: "All units, this is Commander Rourke. Autobots have breached the courtyard of POSGO! They cannot reach the docking area! Any and every unit close by must report to the courtyard and aid any remaining MECH soldier within the facility. The rest of you are on standby until additional help is needed. The Director is counting on us!"

* * *

Up on the cliff, Arcee look through the binoculars and waited for something to happen. In her view, she could see the Wreckers laying waste to the remaining MECHicons in the area, but she wondered if they all fell for it.

Arcee: "C'mon… Please work… Please work…"

She looked to the rest of the area to see more MECHicons on alert. When they got word of an attack, they transformed and raced to the courtyard, leaving the others behind. Knowing that most of them are gone, she smiled and was pleased with the results.

Arcee: "Yes! They took the bait. Let's roll!"

The rest of the team jumped off the cliff and skidded down to the bottom as well, reaching the ground floor. Once they've reached the bottom, they approached an electric fence that would fry them. With her quick agility, Cee jumped high and corkscrew over the fence in an upside down position, landing on the other side. Smokescreen used his phase shifter to faze through the fence without getting harmed. For Bumblebee and Firewall, it was going to be a challenge for they don't have any agility or relics to get over that. Raf though looked up and noticed a building high enough to get on over it. Lifting his arm up, a compartment opened up and one of his cables popped out and extended up to the top of the building. Once it latched on, the hacker lifted himself up to get over safely. That only left Bumblebee standing there, wondering how to get over it as well. The hacker looked down to his friend and decided to give him an assist. Getting his other arm out, he deployed his other cable and it went to the scout, wrapping it around his waist. With a quick flick, the cable pulled him up with sheer strength and lifted him over the fence. As the two made it through, they landed on the ground next to the other two and was relieved. Once they all regrouped, Arcee gestured for them to come as they followed the femme through the maze of buildings. Under a couple of occasions, they saw a few MECHicons slowly patrolling the area and was on standby incase more back up is requested against the Wreckers. Once they were in the clear, they continue their journey through the outdoor driveways and searched for some map around the place. After searching, Arcee spotted a terminal on the doorway close by.

Arcee: "There!"

The four then approached the terminal as she turned to Raf for a quick favor.

Arcee: "All right Firewall, you're up."

The hacker nodded and approached the terminal. Getting to it, he got his cable out of his arm compartment and let the little wires pierce through the metal plating and circuits. Once he was in, his visor started to stream data as he got access to both the map and the cameras. Once he has all the information needed, he turned his same arm to open up a display terminal on left side. Typing a few key buttons, he showed a 3D map of the entire POSGO complex as a few cameras popped out around it.

Raf/Firewall: "Okay, this is the POSGO Steel company. Judging by the mapping, this facility is split into two sections. The first is for administrations and offices, the second is where they develop and distribute the steel. It's certainly a hands on/hands off type of complex."

Arcee and the others looked to the map and nodded in agreement. Still, they have a task to get to.

Arcee: "Have you pinpointed any unknown activity within the area?"

Firewall nodded and showed both the locations and specific camera feeds.

Raf/Firewall: "It looks like MECH has taken the workers and employees into the cafeteria and holding them against their will. There's also MECHicons moving steel into the helicopters in the docking and storage area. Looks like Fowler was right about them taking some steel, but this is a lot more than anticipated."

Smokescreen noticed the screen of the robotic soldiers moving all that steel and rubbed his chin.

Smokescreen: "Looks like they are on an all out shopping spree. Still no clue on what they want with all that steel."

Arcee wondered about it too and decided to worry about it another time.

Arcee: "My guess, nothing good. For now, let's focus on stopping them. You all know your roles, right?"

Everyone looked to her and got their assignments.

Smokescreen: "You and I are going to put a stop to MECH's transport."

Raf/Firewall: "While Bee and I rescue the hostages."

Bumblebee: _**(Piece of cake.)**_

The femme smiled and knew they got the message.

Arcee: "Good to hear. Now let's split up and do our jobs. Be careful though, even if the Wreckers are keeping MECH's pet project busy, doesn't mean there will be scouting parties still on patrol. Move out!"

Soon enough, the team split up into teams of two as Arcee and Smokescreen headed to the storage and docking area while Bee and Raf went to get the hostages.

* * *

Back at the main courtyard, the Wreckers was finishing off the group of Cons as they used their melee weapons to tear them apart. Wheeljack used his swords to cut one MECHicon in half while turning around to make a diagonal slice on the other from behind. Bulkhead pounded one of them in the chest with his wrecking ball before switching to his blaster to shoot him through the chest, full power. The moment he died, another MECHicon came to his side to get a swift strike to his blade. Bulk felt it coming and ducked low to get out of the strike while using his free servo to grab him by the helm, lifting him up to the air. Just then, he got bombarded by blaster fire from the left and turned to use the robotic soldier as a shield to protect himself. Using his sheer strength, he rushed right to the enemy force and plowed them down like a bulldozer. Once he was in the clear, he crushed the soldier's head like a soda can and felt happy about it.

Bulkhead: "Thanks for the cover."

Just as he was successful about what he did, another MECHicon saw him and was about to shoot him down with his machine gun blaster. Before he could even fire, a stray rocket came out of the blue and hit him on the side, destroying him on impact. Bulk felt that and turned to see what happened. When he saw the dead MECHicon, he scratched his head and wondered how that happened. Just then, he heard a whistle coming from the distance and turned to that direction. That's when he saw Miko standing there with her arms crossed and one of her shoulder mounted cannons smoking.

Miko/Kaosu: "Missed one."

The Wrecker gave a quick smirk and could tell that he got a little soft. Just as they were laughing it off, a stray shot hit Kaosu from the side and was seething. Turning to that direction of the blast, she could see the three more and was ready for a bout.

Miko/Kaosu: "Big mistake…"

Feeling giddy, she deployed her gravity hammers and charged in for an assault. The MECHicons saw her coming and started to fire away at her. The Japanese femme though avoided each shot with grace after all that time in training. Getting the right distance, she positioned her legs and jumped up high in the air. With her hammers up, she charged them at full power and came rocketed down to the group in the middle. With one quick hit on the ground, the hammers created a shockwave that blew them away completely. They all flew to different directions as they crashed through either the walls of other buildings or colliding with the rest of the group. As soon as the dust cleared, Miko stood there with one knee on the floor and her ventilation system breathing steadily. Once she got up, she turned to them and was behaving like a true Wrecker.

Miko/Kaosu: "Now that's what I call an impact!"

As she said that, one of the MECHicons that was in stasis dethatched from the wall and fall like a tree. The two Wreckers saw all this go down and were amazed that she's getting too comfortable with combat. Bulk though laughed it up and talked to Jackie about that move.

Bulkhead: "Heh… I taught her that."

Wheeljack crossed his arms with his swords he was still holding and smirked to himself.

Wheeljack: "You really need to give me the heads up when you start teaching our girl some Wrecker tricks Bulk. Sometimes I think we're starting to spoil her too much."

Miko placed her hands on her hips and have a sly look, knowing that Wheeljack is starting to get protective to his cadet. Just then, they started to hear what's supposed to be engines from a bunch of sports cars. Everyone looked to the direction of the noise and saw a dozen green sports cars heading straight to them. Knowing that they're MECHicons, Bulk readied his blasters and was set for battle.

Bulkhead: "Looks like the plan is working. Reinforcements have already arrived!"

Wheeljack then readied his swords and decided to set up a new plan.

Wheeljack: "This party has just got started, Bulk. All we need is a little music. Kaosu!"

The Wrecking cadet looked to him and smiled widely, knowing what he wanted.

Miko/Kaosu: "With pleasure…"

Flexing her servos, she shifted them to her sonic pulse blasters and turned to volume up to maximum. Pointing to one driveway, she pulled the trigger and a blast of sound waves headed right at the first group of cars. That wave pushed them all back as they piled onto each other like a demolition aftermath. She then turned to the next driveway and fired another round. And another… And another… After a few quick firings, all the MECHicons in vehicle form were piled into a hill of metal. Soon enough, those that were on top transformed and started to feel a little bit woozy. Jackie looked to them with eager anticipation and looked ready to pick them off.

Wheeljack: "Time to clean up the trash!"

He and the others immediately charged in with their weapons armed and were ready for another go.

* * *

In one section of the area, Raf and Bumblebee were slowly walking one of the driveways as they passed through a couple of buildings. The hacker was leading the way with his arm up to check the map of the factory while Bumblebee was in the back with two of his blasters out, scanning the area. As they slowly made a slow walk to where they need to go, Bee looked to his friend and asked something.

Bumblebee: _**(Raf, are you sure you know where you're going?)**_

Firewall, looked back to him and answered straightly.

Raf/Firewall: "Positive, Bee. According to the map I downloaded, the administration office should be close to our position. Just need to make a few quick turns and we'll be there before you know it."

Bumblebee: _**(Let's hope we get there soon. Even if the Wreckers are keeping the MECHicons disposed, there could be a few stragglers around the area. Hate to get caught while they-)**_

Just as he was about to finish, Raf lifted his hand and told him to stop.

Raf/Firewall: "Wait!"

The scout did as he said and asked why.

Bumblebee: _**(What is it?)**_

That's when the hacker pointed up on the corner as Bee looked up. That's when he spotted a security camera that was moving back and forth for anything out of the ordinary. Seeing this, they hid behind a small stack of crates when the camera came to their side. Once they were safe, Raf told him about it.

Raf/Firewall: "That's a security camera. There's a lot of them in the area, giving that this place is highly secured. We got caught by one of these things and it will raise an alarm. We have to be discrete about this."

Bee looked at the camera and had a look of determination. Lifting his arm up, he pointed his blaster to the camera and was ready to take it down.

Bumblebee: _**(I'll handle it.)**_

Before he could even make a shot, the hacker brought his friend's blaster down and told him not to.

Raf/Firewall: "No! We shoot that camera down; they will be suspicious and investigate."

Bee thought about that and realized that he does have a point.

Bumblebee: _**(You got a better idea?)**_

Raf turned to the camera and knew what they could do.

Raf/Firewall: "Just one…"

Taking a quick peek, he let one of the compartments on his back open as one of the cables simply sticked out and went straight to the camera. Once it reached the object, it connected to it as the wires pierced through the inner workings. On his visor, Raf opened up the screen to show the live video feed of the place they have to go through. Looking on, he knew what to do as he starts executing his strategy. He started to record the live feed and once it moved back and forth, he stopped it and played it back into a loop. Then he sent that recorded video to that very camera.

* * *

In the security room, MECH soldiers have already taken over the place as some of them were in charge of security detail, keeping watch on anything that was suspicious. One of them looked at one of the screens to see the fight between the MECHicons and the Wreckers. Just then, one of the screens next to it went static for a little bit and went back to normal. It was obvious that it was the same camera that the two Autobots were near. The soldier saw this and asked the other about it.

MECH Soldier 3: "Hey, did you see that?"

The other soldier turned to him and was curious with what he said. Looking to one of the screens he was pointing at, he got a good look and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. He looked to the other soldier and was a little aggravated.

MECH Soldier 4: "I don't see anything unusual. Now back to work and don't waste my time!"

He then went back to working in his own station as the first one was completely confused of what just happened. Shrugging it off, he decided to get back to work and forget about it.

* * *

Back outside, the cable disconnected to the camera as Raf retracted it to his back. Now that he has everything fixed up, he got out of cover and was pleased with what he had done.

Raf/Firewall: "There. Managed to record the feed and play a loop in the camera. They won't even know we pass by. Come on Bee, let's start finding the hostages."

He started to walk away from where he was hiding and past the camera that was only playing a recorded video. The scout looked on and was very confused by the hacker's idea. Getting out of cover, he approached the camera and looked at it strangely. So far it didn't look to him as it was moving back and forth with the lens being covered by the recorded video. He did a quick wave at the camera before performing a bit of posing just to show off. As he was doing that, he could hear his friend from the distance.

Raf/Firewall: "Bee, hurry up! Those hostages can't rescue themselves!"

Stopping what he was doing, he turned to see Firewall waving at him. Thinking there's no time to waste; Bee left the camera behind and caught up with the hacker, reaching the administration office.

* * *

In another part of the area, two MECHicons was walking by with their machine gun blasters armed. Hearing word that the place is under attack, they were on constant watch. Knowing that the area is clear, they walked away and headed to another section. As soon as they disappeared, two figures came out of the shadows and watched them leave. Those two were Arcee and Smokescreen as they were hiding until the ghost is clear and had their blasters armed just in case things could get a little hairy. Once they were gone, the femme gestured the Elite Guard member to press forward.

Arcee: "Clear. Let's get to the docking area and stop MECH from steeling all that metal."

Quickly the two made a mad dash to the docking and storage area in an attempt to stop MECH from whatever they were trying to take. Slowly getting to a corner, Arcee was close to the edge as Smoke stood by her side. Taking a deep breath, she stuck out of cover as she scanned her blaster for any hostiles. Knowing that they're none around, she wavered him to follow as they slowly walked down the driveway and were starting to get a little cautious. As they were walking, Smokescreen looked to her and asked about her and Jack.

Smokescreen: "So, you've been forcing yourself in breaking up with Rodimus or something?"

The two-wheeler simply peeked back and ignored him.

Arcee: "Now isn't the time to talk, Smokescreen. We do have a mission to get through."

The Elite Guard member couldn't get that off his processor as he kept asking.

Smokescreen: "C'mon Arcee, I'm just a little curious. I mean after Darkmount, you two were starting to become an item. Now you simply ignoring him. Man, the whole Prime thing is really starting to bug you."

The femme just about had it with him and decided to speak to him about it quick before they could continue.

Arcee: "Look, what I did wasn't because I wanted to break up with Rodimus. It's just that Optimus doesn't get that my sister went through the same thing; I'm starting to go through with. I care for Rodimus, I really do. But Prime is very selfless in teaching him to control his ability that he doesn't get that he's still young to train. He needs to liven up and bit and know that Rodimus needs to be himself and not some stoic emotionless mech."

Smokescreen listened to that and realized what it was actually about.

Smokescreen: "So it's more of an Optimus being the father figure of Rodimus. Makes sense. A young mech following the footsteps of an old mech even though he doesn't want to. Reminds me of a femme I once knew back on Cybertron."

Cee looked back and was curious about it.

Arcee: "You have a sparkmate?"

Smokescreen waved it off and told her that it wasn't true.

Smokescreen: "Naw… Just an old friend I knew then we were sparklings. Her name was Strongarm and she was created by a family that was part of the Cybertronian Police Department. Her father was pretty much a by the book type of mech and wanted his daughter to follow in his footsteps. Strongarm and I, we had a very good friendship. The Pits, we were thick as thieves when it comes to the shenanigans we've done. But when the war started, he sort of took her under his wing and taught her everything he knew, standard police protocol, protect and serve, that type of scrap. Rarely got the time in seeing her and haven't heard from her since I joined the Elite Guard. Don't even know if she's still online during the war."

The femme heard most of it and was surprised that Smokescreen had someone that considers a friend. So she kept up with the conversation.

Arcee: "You believe that she was terminated on Cybertron?"

The Elite Guard member shrugged his shoulders and gave that some thought.

Smokescreen: "No idea... Heard though that Decepticons usually pick off the police force as they believe to be the weakest in the armada. Don't know if Strongarm was one of those casualties, but I'm not giving up hope that she's one with the All Spark just yet. Look, what I'm saying is what happened between her and me is just like what you're going through. Prime takes Jack under his wing, the distancing of two sparkmates due to that, the sparkache, all connected. Firewall is right you know. You can't bottle this up just because of what Optimus said. Sometimes, you need to let it out, apologize to Jack for beating yourself up over this. Who knows, maybe Prime could understand what you're going through and maybe rethink his decision."

Arcee was quiet about all of this and could agree with what everyone said. Maybe she is doing it the wrong way. Maybe, she should apologize to Jack for the way she was acting to him recently and get back together. Then perhaps Optimus would reconsider his force teachings to her sparkmate. Lowering her head, her optics got dim as she was about to say something.

Arcee: "Smokescreen, thanks for the advice, both you and Firewall. I'll-"

Before she could actually finish, they heard someone from in front of them.

MECHicon 3: "Hey! You there! You're trespassing!"

The two quickly turned to the front and saw a lone MECHicon standing there with his blaster aiming right at them. The two stood there like a deer in the headlights as Smokescreen took the femme's line.

Smokescreen: "Scrap!"

Arcee didn't say anything. Instead, she jumped and transformed, popping a wheelie and racing straight to the metal soldier. The MECHicon target her and fired right at the two-wheeler. Arcee quickly use her driving ability to maneuver around the multiple projectiles. Quickly, she jumped off the ground and went on the wall, defining gravity, while the enemy kept shooting more rounds at her. The moment she was near him, she jumped off the wall and transformed back to her bot mode, delivering a torpedo kick right to the helm, knocking him out completely. Once he was down, Smokescreen approached her and was amazed by her feat.

Smokescreen: "Whoa! That was awesome!"

Cee got up and stretched for a little bit after a maneuver like that.

Arcee: "Let's hope no one heard of that."

But as she said that, the two MECHicons that came past them before reapproaching the area as they spotted the two.

MECHicon 4: "Hold it right there!"

The two turned to their direction and knew this was troubling.

Smokescreen: "Something tells me they might of heard it. This way!"

He quickly grabbed her wrist and rushed to the end of the wall while the other two MECHicons fired their machine gun blasters at them. As he was rushing to the wall, he turned on his Phase Shifter as both he and Cee went through the wall as they disappeared completely. The two metal soldiers stopped firing as one of them contacted Rourke about the situation.

MECHicon 4: "Commander, we got more contact!"

* * *

Back in the storage and docking area, Rourke listened into the comm. ear piece and could tell that it's not good.

Commander Rourke: "How many?"

MECHicon 4: _"Two, sir. The female motorcycle bot and some young bot with a blue and yellow paintjob. Judging by the trajectory, they seem to be heading to your position."_

The commander nodded and ended the call.

Commander Rourke: "Understood. Stop those two from reaching this section. We can't let them stop the project."

Switching his comm. to the Director's line, he let him in on the situation.

Commander Rourke: "Director, this is Rourke. We're already underway with extracting the Tungsten, but the Autobots are already within POSGO. We're going to need some reinforcements if we are to hold them back."

He waited for the Director to respond as he heard his voice.

Director: _"So I hear... These Autobots are becoming a bothersome then previously encountered. I'm already sending some back up in the air, along with our newest member of the group."_

The Commander blinked and was surprised by the last statement.

Commander Rourke: "You're sure this is wise sending him in the battlefield. He's just a scientist with little military training, just like Sumdac."

Director: "True, but what he had done in Sumdac Systems, he's worthy of combat. Rest assure, Mr. Masterson will keep our friends preoccupied."

* * *

Returning to the Wreckers, they were finishing off mopping the rest of the MECHicons. Wheeljack jumped and did a roundhouse kick to the first one before using his Katanas to slice up the second one by the torso and arms. Bulkhead deployed his blaster to shoot off a couple of metal soldiers through the spark chambers and using the wrecking ball on his other servo to knock down the next one. Miko used both her hammers to pound a couple on the helms and knocking them out. She then felt multiple blaster fire on the left side and used her arm to shield herself. Turning to see two MECHicons shooting at the distance and retaliated by arming her shoulder mounted cannons and fired two missiles right at them, hitting them square to their chests and shutting them down. She was pleased with her moves that she didn't expect another one coming behind her with his blade armed to strike. Yet before he could strike, a wrecking ball came from view and hit him squarely in the face. Kaosu turned around to what she heard and saw Bulkhead with his wrecking ball out and had a confident look to his face.

Bulkhead: "Wrecker Rule #1: always have eyes in the back of your helm."

The Wrecking Cadet shrugged it off and decided to follow that advice.

Miko/Kaosu: "I'll remember that next time."

Wheeljack was in the back as he finished the last MECHicon by stabbing the last on in the chest before taking it out and leaves him falling limp. Once he placed the swords back to his back, he approached the others and was glad that was over.

Wheeljack: "Well, that's the last of them. Got to say, that was too easy."

Bulk turned to his friend and told him to not stop yet.

Bulkhead: "Careful Jackie, MECH might be an easy bunch, but they always come up with new ways in stopping us. Remember when they tried to take your Jackhammer down?"

Jackie groaned and remembered about that incident.

Wheeljack: "How could I forget... I also remember them taking down my baby with that huge cannon of theirs. Had to give them a little lesson on messing with my ride."

Miko looked to the two and decided to break it up.

Miko/Kaosu: "Hey, why worry about the past? We are doing a good job in trashing these tin cans. There's no way they can beat us!"

Just as she said that, multiple blasters rained down on them as they reacted and looked up to see customized green choppers that came to their position to fire their mini blaster turrets on the sides. Seeing that, Bulk knew what they area.

Bulkhead: "Great! Looks like MECH brought in the air support! We need to ground them!"

Wheeljack looked to them and smirked widely.

Wheeljack: "With pleasure..."

Getting both of his blasters armed, he started to fire away as the chopper performed some serious maneuvers to avoid the shots. Miko and Bulkhead did the same and fired their own blasters and rockets at the group of choppers. They too avoid those projectiles as they hit nothing but air. The group kept on firing but didn't succeed in taking them down. As they were preoccupied, one of the choppers was close by and targeted the closest Wrecker, Wheeljack. Getting in range, the main cannon on the front started to charge up as electricity sparked out of it. Bulkhead could hear it as he turned around to see this chopper and knew what it was planning. Turning to his friend, he had to intervene.

Bulkhead: "Jackie, look out!"

Quickly, he went into a run and pushed the Wrecker out of harm's way. At the same time, the chopper fired a powerful blast with a prod like device coming out of the cannon. That projectile did miss him as it latched onto the floor and started to spark. Both Bulk and Jackie tumbled to the ground as they look to each other as Wheeljack was a little confused.

Wheeljack: "What the frag Bulkhead!? I was on the roll!"

The green Wrecker simply chuckled as he let him know that he almost had the same fate as a certain deceased Con.

Bulkhead: "Sorry Jackie, didn't want you to suffer the same fate as Breakdown."

The Wrecker looked to him a little confused as he wondered why he was talking about his former nemesis. But just as they were down, the choppers circled around them and fired multiple shots at them, trying to take them out. The two covered themselves with their arms, but it doesn't seem to work as they were overwhelmed by projectile fire. Miko though looked in the distance and didn't like where this was going. Turning to the choppers, she was ready to strike back.

Miko/Kaosu: "Oh no! You're not going to hurt my friends!"

Arming up her cannons, she target the small group and fired a heavy pulse, pushing all of them back and causing them to lose control. As they were losing altitude, she approached her Wrecker teammates and checked on them.

Miko/Kaosu: "Bulkhead! Are you okay?"

The Wrecker simply got up and shrugged his shoulders, telling her that he was fine.

Bulkhead: "A little dinged up, but I'll make it."

The Wrecking Cadet smiled widely and was relieved that he didn't get severely hurt. At the same time, Wheeljack got up and observed the damage the Japanese femme caused.

Wheeljack: "Nice thinking girl. With a push like that, no way those pesky human choppers would survive the landing."

The MECH helicopters started to split and lowered downward to the tops of a few buildings, spinning and falling to their deaths. But just as the team thought they got them, something unexpected happened. They transformed. The metal shifted and the chopper blades folded in the back. When they landed on the tops of the buildings, the Wreckers looked on and were in pure shock. This newly created Transformers is somewhat similar to Blackout they've faced back at the Morison Dam, but they were smaller and thinner and their legs were almost like that of a praying mantis. Their color schemes were green and silver with a few darker green in some places. Their helms were similar to that of the MECHicons and on their arm is an installed long range sniper rifle that looked very high tech. The three looked on in complete shock as the newly created MECHicons aimed right at them with their laser guided targeting sensors on and their sniper rifles charging at full power. As they watched on, Wheeljack gulped and soon realized that he had spoke too soon.

Wheeljack: "Okay... Did not see that one coming."

* * *

In another section of the facility, Raf and Bee were still reaching the hostages as they were encountering one problem after another with the security cameras. Fortunately, Raf used his cable to hack into the camera and record the live feed to play back over and over again just so the two could pass easily. Once he was able to get another camera, he retracted his cable and checked the map on his on board computer.

Raf/Firewall: "Looks like this is the last of them. Says here that the administration's office is close by, along with the cafeteria where MECH is keeping the hostages."

The two started to walk away from the hacked camera as the scout was getting tired.

Bumblebee: _**(Let's hope you're right, Firewall. All this walking is starting to lose my processor. I'm really itching for a fight.)**_

The hacker shrugged it off and told him it's all right.

Raf/Firewall: "I know, I know. You really wanted to get into a fight just like the others. But a battle is more than just fists and guns, it's all about strategy. How you execute it, is all up to you."

Bee groaned in his whirls and wasn't in on that.

Bumblebee: _**(Whatever you say little buddy. I still prefer to pay them all back for stealing my T-Cog.)**_

As they were walking, they didn't know about a few shadows hiding in the dark. Keeping a close watch on them, they waited until it was time for a strike. As the two were walking, they approached an area that has huge doors blocking the way. Checking his map, he knew that they were in the right place.

Raf/Firewall: "All right, this is the place. The cafeteria should be behind those doors."

The scout chirped in relief and was glad that is over.

Bumblebee: _**(Finally, some relief. Now let's bust these doors down and give MECH a major beating.)**_

Raf though lifted his hand up and told him not to.

Raf/Firewall: "Wait! If we burst through those doors, then they might shoot the hostages before we could rescue them. We're going to need a plan in harming MECH and not the others."

Bee looked to him quizzically and wondered about that.

Bumblebee: _**(And do you have an idea in doing that?)**_

The hacker look around to see what we can use in this situation. That's when he spotted two vents between the entrance that was used for air conditioning and came up with one.

Raf/Firewall: "Oh, I think I got one. But we have to hurry before MECH gets suspicious of my other work."

Just as he said that, he heard a voice from above.

MECH Heavy 1: "Oh, it's a little too late for that pal."

The two stopped what they're doing and turned around to see who said that. That's when they spotted a group of heavy soldiers jumping off the buildings and landed on the ground on top of them. Looking to them, the team knew who they are as they were covered with heavy metal plating with graphical designs on their chests that are either targets, vicious animals, or on a few occasions, scantily clad women in bathing suits and were holding weapons while acting all sexually. They had in their arms a combination of Gatling guns and flamethrowers with a heavy pack in their backs containing ammo and flammable liquid. They all knew that these people were MECH's own heavies, just like the one they've encountered when they were in the Morrison Dam. The two looked at each other and knew they were in trouble.

Bumblebee: _**(Knew this was too easy.)**_

Raf just simply ignored that and reminded the scout what he said.

Raf/Firewall: "Well, you did say that you want action. Now you got it."

The heavies started up their weapons as the drums turned and small flames ignite. In a matter of second, they all fired their weapons at the two.

* * *

In another part of the factory, Arcee and Smokescreen encountered more MECHicons as they were keeping them from the docking area. The two Autobots got into cover as fired at them. So far, they managed to take down a few of them, but it wasn't enough as there were still more of them protecting the area. Knowing this was impossible getting there, they needed another type of strategy. Turning to Smokescreen, she quickly did a gesture to tell him what he needed to do. Looking to her, the Elite Guard member looked back and knew what to do. Lifting his arm up, he activated his Phase Shifter and phased through the wall next to him. As he did that, the others kept firing and thought they got them.

MECHicon 5: "Keep firing boys! We have them where we want them!"

The group continued to fire their automatic blasters and thought victory was theirs. Unfortunately, they weren't aware that a certain Autobot phased behind them and was ready for a sneak attack. Coming out of the wall behind them, Smokescreen smirked and armed his blaster, firing a few highly charged blasters to their backs, bringing them down in one hit. The rest of the MECHicons turned to him and reacted by firing their weapons right at him. Smoke quickly falls back and ran back to the wall, phasing through it completely. The group stopped firing and wonder where he went to. Just as they were thinking about that, they were then bombarded by more blaster fired that killed off more of them. The remaining group turned back around to see Arcee in her vehicle mode with her blasters armed on the sides and firing wildly. The group soon fired back at her as she used her quick twists to avoid their firepower. Looking for leverage, she spotted a ramp made out of crates and steel girders and took it. Popping a quick wheelie, she accelerated her speed and approached the man made ramp. The moment she was on maximum overdrive, she jumped off the ramp and flew to the air while the metal soldiers kept on firing. She then did a flip mid transformation and was back to her bipedal mode, in position to deliver a forceful kick to the first MECHicon in front of her. Hitting him in the chest, she skidded down with the soldier as a skateboard and deployed her blasters for a shootout. With precise aim, she shot a couple of them in the chest before aiming the blaster to the one she was riding on and was jumping off him. Back in the air, she switched to the blades and struck down on the first soldier, cutting him in half. Then she made a mad dash to the remaining ones, she folded her blades in an X, protecting herself from the blaster fire from the enemy. Once she was close, she got her blades in a position and made some precise cuts to the remaining group. One cut in the arm, another on the leg, a deeper one in the chest. She was killing of soldiers left and right and got close to the last one. In one swift move, she re positioned her legs during the run and lunged at him, using one quick swipe to chop his head off. With his head cut clean, she landed with an elegant kneel as the head landed on the floor and rolled around while the body moved for a little bit until it started to fall flat on its back. Once the battle was over, Smokescreen phased out of the wall and observed the damage, whistling to himself.

Smokescreen: "Boy, you really have a lot of demons in your past, huh?"

The femme immediately got up and relaxed her shoulders for a bit.

Arcee: "We're pretty much on a deadline, Smokescreen. Sometimes, you have to pull all the stops if you want to stop a dangerous enemy stealing something precious. And to answer your question, yes, I do have demons. Remember my previous partners?"

Smokescreen nodded and remembered about what happened to Tailgate and Cliffjumper while they were retrieving the first Omega Key in Egypt. Once she vented out her ducts, she told him to keep moving.

Arcee: "C'mon. The docking area isn't far from here."

Knowing that MECH knows they're here, the two transformed and sped straight to their main objective. What they didn't know is that more trouble was coming to them, something much bigger then they had to go through.

* * *

Up in the sky, the night sky was clear as there wasn't a cloud. Just then, two huge carrier choppers were flowing overhead as there were highly strong support cables holding something big. In one of the cockpits, the chopper pilot was looking to the GPS map on the console and could tell that they were over the exact location. Seeing the spot, he got on the comm. and contacted the commander.

MECH Pilot: "Commander Rourke, we got the package and we're over the POSGO Industries. Where do you want us to drop it?"

He waited for a response as he heard the Commander on the other end.

Commander Rourke: _"Place it near the docking and storage area. One of the watch squads haven't contacted back seconds ago and I fear that the Autobots are reaching my position. I need him here to stall them while we gather the rest of the steel needed for the project."_

The pilot nodded and knew this was grave.

MECH Pilot: "Understood. Dropping package now."

He and the other pilot in the second chopper pushed a button at the exact same time. At the bottom of the choppers, the cables holding this said package snapped and it started to fall to the ground, right where the two Autobots were located.

* * *

Returning to Arcee and Smokescreen, they were in vehicle mode as they raced straight to where MECH is taking all the steel. Quickly making a drift, the two could tell that they were getting close.

Arcee: "Almost there! I could see the building from here!"

Indeed, they were there. Right in front of them is a wide and huge building with a tilted roof over it. They could tell that that building goes straight to the docking and storage area. They immediately accelerated as they were getting close to the building. Just as they were getting near, Smokescreen noticed something from above and told the two-wheeler about it.

Smokescreen: "Wait! What's that?"

Arcee looked up with her headlights to see what the Elite Guard member was seeing. What she saw was something big coming down close to them, like a meteor or something. This large object was getting closer and closer as it was falling like a really heavy anvil. Seeing this, she panicked and warned Smoke about it.

Arcee: "Incoming!"

Before they could reverse, that said object hit the floor and created a plume of smoke, sending a shockwave and shattering windows from the impact. Even the force of the blast caused the two to launch off the ground and flew backwards away from it. In the air, the two vehicles were spinning out of control as the two had to regain their footing. Quickly, they transformed back to their robot modes and landed on the ground with their pedes. Taking a quick breather, Smoke turned to the femme and was shocked by what happened.

Smokescreen: "What the frag was that?"

Arcee just looked to the plum and could hear footsteps approaching them.

Arcee: "Don't know, but whatever it is, it's coming right at us. Get ready."

She quickly deploys her blasters and aimed at whatever is coming to them while Smokescreen did the same. The two waited as the unknown thing kept getting closer. As they were in position, they could see a shadowy figure slowly approaching them. That figure grew bigger as the two kept their ground. But as soon as the definition was present, the two lowered their weapons and were a little surprised about the look. This huge being was humanoid and had a huge propeller in the back and a smaller one in one of the arms. Starring at it, the two were a bit awestruck by it.

Arcee: "No… It can't be…"

Smokescreen looked on in disbelief and was very confused.

Smokescreen: "Is that Blackout? MECH's little pet project? Thought he was decapitated back at the dam. Why is he out and about?"

The two kept holding their ground and was confused as to why MECH's weapon was still operating. Just as they waited, they could hear a voice that was very familiar.

Headmaster: "Hello my metal friends! Did you miss me?"

The two heard that and was shocked by that voice while the smoke disappeared. From there, they got a clear view of the threat in front of them. They could see the body of Blackout, all damaged and scratched from their last encounter. But on the top, they could clearly see the head of the Headmaster Unit attached to the neckline. The two took a step back as Arcee knew who this person was.

Arcee: "Henry Masterson? I thought you were in jail!"

* * *

Inside the cockpit, Masterson was at the controls, with his suit and headpiece on and had the look of intent.

Headmaster: "It's Headmaster now! And let's just say someone has giving me a second chance in my work. As for you, I am hoping to get some serious payback from what you've done to me!"

* * *

Out of the cockpit, Masterson controlled the huge body and pounded his fists, ready to do some serious damaged. The two looked on and didn't know what to do as Smokescreen decided to give his own thoughts.

Smokescreen: "I know Optimus wanted to leave him out of the way, but we could really use Rodimus right about now."

Just as he said that, the body of Blackout stretched his arms out and opened many compartments, ready to begin the attack.

Headmaster: "Total Ownage Newbs!"

He then fired multiple rockets as they headed straight towards them. Though Arcee understands Prime's order, she would agree with Smokescreen. They would sure need Jack.

* * *

**Cliffhanger time! Sorry to cut this a little too short, but I'm saving the huge action scene on the last chapter. And boy what a last chapter I got, new class of MECHicons and a returned from an old enemy with a head of another. So awesome. Oh, and for those of you that are asking about Strongarm. I know that she was created after the war. But I want to set this story up so that she was created before it. It's my version so don't judge me. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. Stay tune and please review. And for that snobby guest reviewer that kept forcing me to update this story and the like. Well I say… STOP IT ALREADY! I'LL GET TO THE STORY WHEN I GET TO THE STORY! GOD DAMN IT! Happy Fourth of July Everybody.**


	7. Battle Against Headmaster

**Two things I need to speak about before I start with the story. Firstly, how many of you know of a little game called Five Nights at Freddy's? Well for those of you that didn't know, it's a little Indy game that turned into an actual classic in the making. Game's mostly about you taking part in the Night Shift of a family pizzeria where animal animatronics move around the establishment to find you. You have to make sure that they don't get close to you, cause if they do, you're good as dead. It has a really good horror aspect to the whole thing and the jumps cares are extremely good. In less then a year, it spanned four games and had led the way to other Five Night parodies from Disney to Spongebob. Of course these spin offs were missing one type of media, and that's Hatsune Miku and her Vocaloid characters. Now Hatsune and her friends are somewhat of virtual idols that have so many hit songs, video games, concerts, and the whole fan media base. Which is why I think they should have a FNaF game as well. Too bad no one ever does that. Maybe this story I started could help. I call this story_ 'Five Nights at Miku's'_ and it focuses on you as a security guard, working the nightshift at a new amusement park dedicated by Miku and her friends, the coolest part is that these characters aren't animatronics, but interactive holograms that sing, perform, mingle, and talk to park goers. It's a very cool story and it really is quite a refresher compared to the FNaF games. I even have plans for a special surprise within the story that will let people do a head turn on it. If you're interested in this story, check my profile page and look for Five Nights at Miku's. So far it's just a prolong and the first three nights. I might work on it from time to time, giving how long Henry Cerro is going to edit the chapters for my Transformers Infinite crossover we're working on together. But hey, we'll see what happens.**

**Speaking of him, I need a favor to share with anyone in the Fanfiction Community who is reading this. So one of my stories, _'Transformers Infinite'_ is pretty much in a holding pattern and I'll explain why. See, my collaborator and big fan of my stories, Henry Cerro (A.K.A. FictionFan1024) suffered a heart attack in August and had to go through a Quadruple bypass surgery. Good news is that he survived the procedure and is recovering at his home. The bad news though is that with his recovery, the kidney stones, and the blood thinners he's taking, it's going to take a while for him to get back to story writing, which includes our collaboration. So I've already finished with chapter eight and working on nine and ten, yet Did didn't see anything Henry did so far, so you can tell that I'm having a problem with this.**

**Now I've been trying to find someone else to be a temporary replacement until FictionFan is fully recovered. Did ask a couple of people to help me out with this problem I've been having. Sadly, they declined because they were either too busy with their own stuff or they don't know much of the material, mostly the Bioshock Infinte aspect. So with Henry out, my story is pretty much on a hiatus until FictionFan recovers or I have to find a temp replacement. Which brings me to why I'm writing this. I'm in need of a temporary replacement that is part of the FanFiction community and does good action scenes whether it be short descriptions or long paragraphs. If you or a friend you know that has any of those types of talents and know of the Transformers or Bioshock material send me a private message that shows your action driven stories and Gmail address and I'll start sending you the chapters on Google Docs. Course it's going to be eight and ten as I'm doing chapter nine by myself. Feel free to read Transformers Infinite too, just to give you a good idea of what to do with the characters.**

**Getting to what happened in the last chapter, it's pretty good so far. 14 solid reviews and almost 1,000 hits. Though I think it could've been more, giving that there was an error on the site and stops the hit counter. But there's nothing to worry about. Still, I've been getting this random guest reviewer forcing me to update the story. I'm really starting to get tired over of person and wish that he would shut up. It's annoying to have him asking for the next chapter on a giving day. But I'm certain it will come to deaf ears or blind eyes as he will do it no matter how long it will take. So, to whoever this guest reviewer is, can you please stop sending me these update reviews? I'll do it when I get to it!**

**Let's get started with the next chapter of Headmaster of my third season of Transformers Prime. Tensions are running high as Masterson makes his return to finish what he started with the Autobots. Now that he has possession of Blackout's body, it could spell so much trouble for Team Prime. Will they be able to stop him and stop MECH from steeling some important metals? This is a big fight you can't miss.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Prime**

* * *

Chapter Seven: Battle Against Headmaster

There is an old saying that states, _'Always expect the unexpected'_. Well for the Autobots they didn't expect anything like this. The mission they got from Fowler is that MECH has made their return and has taken over a POSGO, steel company in California, rounding up hostages and taking some metals for motives that are very unclear. The plan was simple too, the Wreckers were to distract the MECHicons while the others commence the rest of the mission, Raf and Bee head to where the hostages are located to free them, and Arcee and Smokescreen would head to the storage depot to stop them from stealing some metal steel. However, none of them didn't expect the plan going array, especially for the ninja scout and the Elite Guard member. When they were reaching the warehouse, they didn't expect a huge roadblock in their way, let alone that said roadblock is one that they thought was long gone. This roadblock has the body of Blackout, the same Blackout that Rodimus managed to dispose of when he used the enemy's own weapon in chopping his head clean off. But now he's back and instead of his own head, it was a head of a very familiar face. The Headmaster Unit, piloted by none other then Henry Masterson himself. The two looked on in complete shock as Masterson used Blackout's body to shoot multiple missiles right at them. Fearing the worse, the femme turned to him and told him to run, or drive for that matter.

Arcee: "Fallback!"

They then turned around and transformed into their vehicle forms, racing away while the missiles went after them. Once by one, each missile exploded on the floor while the two skidded back and forth to avoid the blast. Unfortunately, some of them collided all together and created a forceful explosion that pushed the two off the ground. Both Autobots flew high in the air before transforming and landing on their pedes, skidding to a complete stop. The two looked up to the huge brute with the Headmaster head and was quite shocked by this turn of events.

Smokescreen: "Okay, why in the pits is Masterson here? Wasn't he suppose to be in jail after that rampage in Sumdac Systems?"

Arcee looked at the body of Blackout and came up with a conclusion.

Arcee: "He was… My guess is that the stunt he pulled back in Detroit has certainly gotten MECH's attention."

Masterson could hear it on the transceiver in the cockpit and laughed it up.

Henry Masterson: "You've guessed correctly Captain Obvious. And you know what the best about these guys? That I can do whatever I want and there will be no consequences! Which means you noobs are as good as dead!"

He started to laugh maniacally as he armed up the machine guns on the body's arms and fired away. The two-wheeler saw this and told Smokescreen and split.

Arcee: "Split up! I'll go left, you go right!"

So that, the two started to separate and armed their blasters to fire back. Arcee took the left side while Smokescreen took the right, firing away at the Headmaster unit connected to its body. But with the machineguns on the arms blaring, it would be impossible in getting the precise hit. The Elite Guard member was running out of room as he turned his Phase Shifter on and went through a wall to protect himself from the incoming bullets. Arcee though didn't have one and had to rely on her quick thinking to get herself out of this little mess. Spotting a huge semi truck with a container bed that has big enough cover to protect herself. Rushing to it, she jumped high in the air and did a corkscrew up in the sky. Landing on the other side, she got into cover as the bullets hit the side of the truck, letting the bullets absorb all the bullet fire. Knowing that she's safe for the moment, she activated her comm. on her audio receptors and alerted the others.

Arcee: "Attention all teams, this is Arcee! Smokescreen and I are being blocked off by a familiar face! We're going to need an assist, and quick!"

She waited for everyone to respond until Wheeljack called her.

Wheeljack: _"We here you Arcee. Wish we could come and help you out, but we got ourselves in a bit of a problem ourselves."_

* * *

In one section of the steel producing facility, the Wreckers were cornered completely as all around them was MECH's newest class of MECHicons. Bulkhead and Wheeljack got into covering fire as they were trying to blast the new class while Miko was in the middle completely covered. They fired a few stray shots and missed them by inches. The new MECHicons charged their sniper like blasters and fired powerful blasts at the two. Both Bulk and Jackie got to cover quick as the charged blasts missed them completely. Once they return to cover, Arcee was on Jackie's comm. and asked them of the situation.

Arcee: _"Respond Wheeljack, what's the situation on your end."_

Getting on the comm., he told her of the problem.

Wheeljack: "Well… Let's just say that we encountered a new class of Cons."

It was then the Kaosu butted in and said it out loud.

Miko/Kaosu: "Translation, we're getting our afts kick by Snipercons!"

Arcee heard it on the other end and was confused.

Arcee: _"Snipercons?"_

Bulkhead then explained about this new class.

Bulkhead: "They are new robots with built in sniper blasters on their arms that can transform into choppers. They came in announced and decided to make themselves known. Probably guess the Director set this new class up just to pick us off. We're trying to hold our own, but we won't get able to take them down as of yet. Sorry, but we can't help you until we get rid of them first."

Arcee listened to that and knew it didn't sound good.

Arcee: _"Copy that. Get rid of them quick so you can join us in the assist."_

Wheeljack nodded as he turned off his comm. and turned to the others.

Wheeljack: "Well, this has gone to the scrapper."

Bulk sighed and didn't like the odds.

Bulkhead: "Tell me about it, Jackie. Looks like MECH is pulling some new tricks in their servos. We need to find a way in disposing them quick and assist Arcee."

Wheeljack sighed as more charged shots flew all over them.

Wheeljack: "Too bad I've wasted that grenade to make our grand entrance. If we're going to get through this, we're going to need a plan B."

Miko went into thought and wondered what to do to get themselves out of this little predicament. Giving how much they charge their sniper blasters it would be around a few short seconds before firing back. Thinking of one, she came up with a plan.

Miko/Kaosu: "I think I got an idea. But I'm going to need your help on this one."

Both Wreckers looked at the cadet and was curious as what she was planning. But giving they have no ideas of their own, but decided to listen in.

Wheeljack: "All right, I'm all audio receptors. What do you have in mind?"

Kaosu smirked to herself and gave them the details of her plan.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of the facility, Raf and Bumblebee made it to the cafeteria area to help free the hostages. Unfortunate for them, they encountered a threat of their own. For what they were facing is a dozen of heavy duty soldiers with strong armor and dual combination of chain guns and flamethrowers on their hands and a backpack filled with ammo and flammable canisters. The two got into cover as the heavies shot both bullets and flames right at them. Thankfully, they found the cover from the corners of the building and took it, making sure that they don't get melted or pierced by bullets. Both of them arm their weapons as they went into covering fire as well. Raf turned his tazer blaster to shoot some electricity on the group and only hit one, knocking him out completely. Bumblebee used his blasters as well and shot wildly, missing them all. They then got back to cover and were in a bit of a difficult spot. As they were getting preoccupied, Bee heard the voice of Arcee on his end.

Arcee: _"Arcee to Bee. Come in Bumblebee! Smokescreen and I are in serious trouble. We're going to need some help here!"_

The scout heard that from his end and told him of their own problem.

Bumblebee: _**(That will be a negative, Arcee. We are in our own scrap as it is.)**_

He then went back to covering fire and did more stray shots at them. As he was shooting, Arcee asked about it.

Arcee: _"Explain…"_

He then saw the shots coming straight towards him and went back into cover once more, telling her what they're facing.

Bumblebee: _**(Remember that big bad human with the flame throwing chain gun we've encountered at Morrison Dam? Well, turns out he had friends. Firewall and I are holding our own, but we need to take them out if we are to get the hostages to safety. I'm sorry if we can't help you, but you're on your own on this one. Bumblebee, out.)**_

He turned his comm. off and beeped in frustration. Raf turned to his friend and asked what's that about.

Raf/Firewall: "Who's that?"

Bee turned to the hacker and told him who was on the line.

Bumblebee: _**(That was Arcee. She needs our help in pushing through, but we're a little preoccupied with MECH's men to get to them in time. Plus we have to get these hostages to safety.)**_

Raf/Firewall: "Well, we can't just stay in cover for too long. We need a plan in getting them off our backs. I hope you have an idea."

Bee looked back to the group and peered away when more bullets and flames started to fly past him.

Bumblebee: _**(I think I have one, but you're not going to like it.)**_

* * *

Back near storage, Arcee heard what Bee said and cursed by herself.

Arcee: "Scrap… The Wreckers and Bee are a little preoccupied. Just when I need them the most. Can this day get any worse?"

Just as she asked herself that, the truck she was using as cover was being lifted up by something big. Feeling that, she looked back to see the Headmaster Unit using Blackout's body to lift the truck high in the air with the permanent smirk on its face and Masterson's voice coming from within.

Henry Masterson: "Foolish little girl! You think hiding is going to make a difference? Consider yourself squashed!"

Arcee looked on in complete shock as he was about to use the truck to squish her. What none of them didn't know is that another bot was close by and started to intervene. That bot was none other then Smokescreen as he found a make shift ramp inside the building he head into and jumped it, phasing through in his vehicle form and was in the air. Once he was high up, he transformed and landed on the back of the Headmaster's head. Masterson could feel that and knew he had forgotten about someone, to he dropped the truck bed from behind and flail his arms around, trying to get the Elite Guard off of him.

Henry Masterson: "Argh! Crazy bot! Get off of me!"

Smokescreen held on with one servo as he used the other one to form a blaster to shot some high powered blasts at the back of the head. Arcee saw Smokescreen struggling and armed her blasters to fire at the front of Masterson's head. Masterson couldn't take this and has to get some serious breathing room. After a couple of failed attempts, he managed to grab the Elite Guard member from behind and got him off of his head. He then flung him straight to the femme as Arcee had little time in getting out of there. The two collided into each other and tumbled on the ground. Once the two stopped, they were on top of each other with a bit of embarrassment, before getting off each other.

Smokescreen: "Let's hope Jack doesn't find out about this."

Arcee nodded as she was a little red on the cheeks. The two then had heard footsteps close by and saw Masterson approaching them with the anticipation to killing them.

Henry Masterson: "Big mistake, you two. I'm going to cut you to bits!"

Controlling Blackout's body, he lifted the arm up that had the propeller connected to it. The two bots saw this and decided to fallback quickly. Getting up, they turned around and ran to the nearest building as Smoke activated his Phase Shifter. At the same time, Masterson got the blades spinning and fired it right at them, gliding to them. The two approached another warehouse building in front of them and started to ran to it. Just as they got to the wall, the two phase through it and disappeared immediately, at the same time the blades hit the wall and penetrated it, but not the two Autobots. Masterson looked on and didn't like how it went."

Henry Masterson: "Crud…"

Inside the warehouse, the two took a quick breather and was glad that they got out of that mess temporarily. Smokescreen looked to Arcee and asked if they're going to get help.

Smokescreen: "Please tell me we're going to get some backup after what we're going through."

Cee turned to him and shook her head.

Arcee: "Sorry Smoke, no can do. Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Kaosu are holding against some new class of MECHicons while Bumblebee and Firewall were getting overrun by a group of heavies. You remember one of them back at the dam, right?"

Smokescreen blinked and remembered about what happened with back at Morrison Dam.

Smokescreen: "Oh yeah… I remember… Wasn't expecting anything like that. So now what? We're on our own against some mad scientist with a head controlling an old MECHicon body?"

The femme gave it a bit of thought as she came up with the only option they had left.

Arcee: "Maybe not. I've got one more trick up my sleeve. Let's just hope Ratchet and Optimus can pull through."

Smoke blinked his optics and wondered what she meant. Suddenly, he soon realized what she's trying to say and knew it won't end well.

Smokescreen: "Oh boy…"

Arcee then placed her digits on her audio receptor and contacted Ratchet.

Arcee: "Arcee to base…"

* * *

Back at the Autobot's base underneath Lake Eerie, Ratchet was doing his diagnostics on the systems when he got the call from the cyber ninja.

Arcee: "Come in base! We've got a problem. Does anyone read me?"

Ratch heard her voice and contacted back.

Ratchet: "I read you, Arcee. What's the situation?"

Soon as he said that, Jack, Optimus, and June pushing the Prime's wheelchair, approached the command center and could tell that Arcee was a little worried.

Arcee: _"Very grave, Ratchet. MECH has pulled a fast one on us. New class of MECHicons, new threats, and a return of two familiar faces. Well one familiar body and one familiar face. Blackout is back!"_

The others heard that and was in complete shocked by this. Rodimus was even more surprised as he asked about it.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Wait! Blackout?! How is that possible? Last time I checked, I used his propeller against him and he got decapitated."

Arcee could hear Jack's voice on her end and told him about the problem.

Arcee: _"That's where the familiar face comes into the play. Masterson is back and has the Headmaster Unit controlling the body of Blackout."_

The others were in even more shock as the medic couldn't believe it.

Ratchet: "Masterson?! You mean that young lunatic that went on a rampage at Sumdac Systems?! I thought he was sent to jail for that fiasco."

Arcee: _"That we all thought. But the Director must've of seen the news of what he did and brought him to MECH's side. He seems to know how to control that body very well and is pulling all the stops to prevent us in stopping MECH. We need some serious back up to stop him. We're going to need Rodimus."_

Ratchet looked on at the screen and was a bit bewildered about it.

Ratchet: "Absolutely not! You're telling me that we have to bring Rodimus to a battlefield when he nearly caused us problems in the first place. He can't come back into the field until his training with Optimus is complete!"

* * *

Back with Arcee and Smokescreen…

Arcee: "I know that Ratchet, but our numbers have grown thin and the others are a little preoccupied. We're going to need his help if we're going but a stop to MECH once and for all. Hurry and send in Rodimus at once! We can't hold on for much longer!"

When she said that, they could hear the foundation shaking as the two held on, wondering what is happening on the outside. Just then, a pair of huge servos digged through the roof and lifted it up with sheer force. The two looked up as they saw the Headmaster unit looking right at them.

Henry Masterson: "Peek-a-Boo, I see you…"

The two looked on in shock as the femme kept demanding to bring the new Prime.

Arcee: "Just send in Rodimus! NOW!"

The two immediately transformed and sped away from the huge behemoth. Masterson saw them leaving and decided to put the breaks on them.

Henry Masterson: "You can't escape me!"

To that end, he armed his missiles and fired right at them. The two saw this in their review mirrors and decided to speed the escape. Missiles kept on missing them as they destroyed everything in their path. The two approached the end and saw the garage doors as it was completely locked. Knowing they need to get out of this death trap, Arcee activated her blasters in vehicle mode and fired multiple shots at one of the garage door, forming a large enough hole for the two to get through. Once it shot an opening, the two transformed into the bipedal modes and skidded on the ground. Once they were near, they jumped up and used their bodies to push the hole in the garage door, opening it by force and was back outside. At the same time, all the missiles hit a few barrels of flammable liquid and created a chain reaction, destroying the warehouse completely. Luckily, they were able to get out of it, only for the blast to push them forward and they disappeared out of the blue. Soon enough, all there is left is the smoldering remains of the warehouse and no Autobots to be found as Masterson with Blackout's body stood proudly.

* * *

Back at base, Ratchet was trying desperately on contacting the femme.

Ratchet: "Arcee? Are you there? What was the explosion? Are you all right? Speak to me! Arcee!"

He couldn't hear nothing but static as he was getting worried about what transpired. Jack then got to him and asked about it.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Ratchet? What happened? Is Arcee…"

Ratch checked the life signals of the team and saw Arcee's was still active.

Ratchet: "Her life signal is still online, thank goodness. But the blast must've scrambled her comm. and I can't get her back. Judging by a sound of it, it can't be good."

Rodimus listened in and knew this was bad. He had to help them out, he had to help Arcee out. So he demanded Ratchet to bridge him to them.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Send me in, Ratchet. Bridge me to POSGO, right away."

The medic turned to him and was a little irate.

Ratchet: "Not going to happen! After what you did in Detroit, we cannot take the risk. You will remain here until training is complete."

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "And for how long? You heard what Arcee said. Not only that Masterson is back and joined MECH, but he also has control of Blackout's body! They need my help if they are to put a stop to MECH's plan."

Ratchet: "And with your Prime ability running amok? We cannot let that happen!"

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Then let me do it without my Prime ability. I can defeat him without it."

As the argument went on, Optimus listened in and decided to break it up.

Optimus Prime: "I'm sorry Jack, but Ratchet does have a point. Even if you don't use your Prime ability, your emotions would get in the way and trigger that said ability. I cannot let that happen as before. Until your training is complete, you are to remain in the base until further notice. No exceptions."

Jack turned to Optimus with Altra by his side and couldn't take it anymore. Walking to him, he decided to let it all out.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "So that's it?! You expect me to sit idly by while everyone is in danger, when Arcee is in danger? I'm certain that you would sit by as well while Elita is hurt!"

The Prime remained silent as he turned his head away, quiet but surprised about him saying her name. Looking back to him, he demanded about what he said.

Optimus Prime: "Who told you about that?"

Now that got his attention as Jack kept going with it.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Pretty much everyone in Team Prime. I know about that relationship you use to have with Elita-One. I know that when you became a Prime, you distance yourself with her to protect her from Megatron. You let your obligations get in the way of your life with her and now you're doing it to me. Arcee and I knew each other since day one and we have clicked after rescuing you. And now, you want to separate me from her just to train me? To follow in your own footsteps while the team is in grave danger?! I can't let that happen!"

Optimus listened to everything he said and was amazed at how much he changed. He was acting more of a Prime then that of a teen and would do anything to protect those in need. Still, he was unsure if he wants to bring him back out in the field as his Prime state would activate if he gets too emotional. So he tried to talk him out of it.

Optimus Prime: "I understand your concern Darby. I know you care so much for Arcee. But you must know that the reason why I couldn't be with Elita-One is that I was protecting her from Megatron. That if he ever find out about our relationship, he will use her as leverage and would force me to surrender if she's ever hurt. I'm certain that he will do the same to you when he finds out about your relationship with Arcee. As a leader, I need to protect those that matter the most.

That's when Jack found a way to get out of this and told him of his duties.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Well as a leader you have to make the difficult decisions in achieving victory. Remember at the Omega Lock on Cybertron, when Megatron had us hostage and you had to make a choice between the restoring our planet or saving us? You chose to save us because you didn't want any human casualties involved in your war. Were there any controversy on this decision? Maybe… But you didn't want us killed for the sake of your war. Now everyone is in grave danger while I'm cooped up in here with this training regiment you have given me. If I don't get to them in time, the team will be as good as dead. So now it's time for you to decide. Are you going leave me here to continue to train, or are you going to send me into the field. We're running out of time, Optimus."

The Autobot leader looked to him and was very silent about it. If the team is in danger, they would need some serious backup if they are to succeed in the mission. However, Jack still has a long way to go in his training and there are things that need to be done. As he gave it some thought, June looked to him and was amazed by how her son reacted to all of this.

June/Altra: "Got to say, my son is really growing up. Starting to act more like you."

Optimus looked to the nurse and could agree with her. But he needs to make the decision himself. What can he do?

* * *

Returning to POSGO, Masterson looked down at the destruction he has caused and was pleased with his accomplishment. As he looked at the devastation he laid waste, he heard something on the comm. frequency in the cockpit.

Commander Rourke: _"Headmaster, this is Commander Rourke. We heard an explosion close to our position. What happened out there?"_

Masterson heard that and explained to the commander of the situation.

Henry Masterson: "Nothing much Commander dude, just blowing up a storage building with two of those Autonoobs inside. They're good as cooked!"

* * *

In the storage and docking room, Rourke was on the line when he heard what Masterson did and was pleased.

Commander Rourke: "May I remind you Headmaster, that we have to leave the damage in this facility minimal. This is a public place after all, and we need to be in and out of this place with the steel needed for the Director's project."

He then turned to the direction of the garage doors to see the MECHicons carrying more Tungsten metal to the choppers as the magnets at the bottom of the aerial vehicles magnetize to them. As he looked on, Henry explained about it.

Henry Masterson: _"Yeah, well the two were hiding in that warehouse and were formulating a plan of some kind. Had to put a stop to them once and for all."_

* * *

Back to Masterson…

Commander Rourke: _"And did you check to see if the bodies are found?"_

Masterson groaned to himself and told him that it has been settled.

Henry Masterson: "Come on Commander, the blast could be seen from space. No one would've survived that mess, not even a bunch of robots."

Commander Rourke: _"Whatever the case, we need to be sure that they are gone. Check the area, make sure that they are dead."_

Henry sighed and decided to follow his advice.

Henry Masterson: "Fine… Whatever you say, Rourky.."

He turns off the comm. and cussed himself.

Henry Masterson: "God damn old man… Getting paranoid over the fact that they could still be alive. If I know my movies and video games, no one would survive an explosion of that magnitude."

Controlling the Blackout body, Headmaster started to walk around the place, finding the bodies of the two Autobots. What he didn't know is that the Arcee and Smokescreen survived the blast as they were hiding behind the wall of another warehouse close by. The femme peeked back to see the enemy wondering away and was relieved he didn't find them as of yet.

Arcee: "Phew… That was a close one. If we didn't get out of there sooner, then we've would've reunited with Primus. Looks like he thinks we stalled and is searching for our dead bodies."

Smokescreen heard this and decided to take the opportunity.

Smokescreen: "Well then what are we waiting for? He's distracted. Let's make a mad dash to the depot warehouse and stop MECH."

Arcee turned to him and told him that isn't going to be easy.

Arcee: "Even if we get to the depot, we still have to deal with the Headmaster Unit attached to Blackout's body. We have to get rid of him fast before we could get through that building."

Smokescreen sighed to himself and knew where she was going with this plan. But then, he thought of the call Arcee made and asked her about it.

Smokescreen: "What about Rodimus? Did Ratchet or Optimus pull through?"

Arcee just shook her head and told him that it didn't work.

Arcee: "No can do. Ratchet is so hesitant in bringing Jack to battle after Detroit and I don't think Optimus wouldn't let him out when his training is complete. Looks like we have to take care of this ourselves until the others arrive."

Smokescreen: "Okay… So how are we going to take that thing down?"

Arcee looked to him and wondered about it. Checking the area around her, she spotted a semi truck filled with small propane tanks on the truck's bed. Looking at it, she came up with a really good plan.

Arcee: "We take a page from Sari's playbook. Follow me."

* * *

In another section of POSGO, the Sniper Cons kept on shooting at the Wreckers as they were in cover. As they were in cover, Miko discussed about her plan to the other Wreckers as they were a little hesitant about it.

Wheeljack: "So, that's your plan?"

Miko/Kaosu: "Yep."

Wheeljack: "And it's going to be dangerous."

Miko/Kaosu: "Pretty much."

Wheeljack: "Normally, I would take any plan that could get us killed, but this? Seems a little extreme, even for me."

Miko sighed and told him that it was all right.

Miko/Kaosu: "C'mon Jackie, this is the perfect plan. You guys drive around in the open, keeping the Snipercons distracted. Meanwhile, I'll go on ahead and take them down one by one with all that stealth training Arcee taught me. Trust me, those fools won't know what hit them."

Wheeljack: "And what happens if those MECH bots spot you taking them down?"

Miko thought this through and came up with a better alternative.

Miko/Kaosu: "Well… I can always improvise."

Wheeljack still wasn't sure and tried to argue her case. But before he could even say anything, Bulkhead turned to him and told him that they have no choice.

Bulkhead: "Miko has a point, Jackie. If we are to be rid of these snipers, we need to follow her plan to the letter. Besides, it sure beats staying in cover for so long."

The Wrecker listened to his friend's advice and gave it a bit of thought. Surely he could take them on with a precise shot through the spark chamber, but giving the number, he won't be able to get rid of them all without focusing on all of them. And being in cover, it would be much difficult. So it seems like Miko's plan is the best of option that they have. Turning back to the cadet, he nodded and decided to trust her.

Wheeljack: "All right, we'll follow your plan. But if the two of us get killed, the fault is going to be on you."

Miko shrugged her shoulders and understood what that meant.

Miko/Kaosu: "Fair enough point. Now go!"

The two nodded as they both jumped over cover and transformed midway through. Landing on their wheels, they sped away from cover to execute the Japanese femme's plan. Meanwhile, the one of the snipers saw the two speeding off and told the others about it.

Snipercon 1: "Targets have been sighted. They're on the move! Open fire!"

The other snipers saw them leaving and pointed their long range blasters on them, ready to take them out in one shot. As they started to charge, the two Wreckers saw them getting ready to decide to make a quick decision.

Wheeljack: "Here they come! Get ready!"

Once they sniper rifles were fully charged, they all pulled on their triggers mentally and the beam of electric projectiles headed straight towards them. As they were just about near, Jackie decided to now move out of the way.

Wheeljack: "Now!"

Quickly the two split apart as the first shot hit the ground where they drove and missed them by inches. With them apart, it would be difficult for the MECHicons to track them as they kept shooting with their sniper blasters, only to miss while the two Wreckers turned and drift to avoid fire. As they were distracting the group, Kaosu looked to the view and could tell that her plan was working. With the Snipercons preoccupied, it would give her a chance to execute the next phase of the plan.

Miko/Kaosu: "That's it guys… Keep them distracted, while I handle my part of the plan."

Once she saw the MECH bots solely focusing on the two Wreckers, she took that opportunity and transformed out of cover, using the McLaren to speed to the first nearest MECHicon.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of POSGO, Bee spoke to Raf about his plan and was a little hesitant about it.

Raf/Firewall: "Okay… So let me get this straight. You want to drive them away from you, so I can rescue the hostages?"

The scout nodded and was in agreement.

Bumblebee: _**(That's right. If we do managed to get the hostages out of there, those MECH soldiers will grind them to pulp. We need to keep the distance between these heavies and the workers in this company.)**_

Raf listened to that and knew that he was correct. With the heavies in front of them, the hostages would get killed if they plow through the doors. They need to keep these soldiers away from the cafeteria and away from the workers at all costs. Looking to the situation, he decided to take it.

Raf/Firewall: "Make a fair point, Bee. But how are you going to keep them busy? Giving what they possess, it would be very difficult!"

Bumblebee: _**(I'll improvise. Wish me luck.)**_

The hacker nodded as Bumblebee started to execute his plan. Climbing up the building, he went to the roof and ran on it. He then armed his blasters and started to fire at the group while running. The heavies felt the blaster shots and looked up to see the scout up on the roofs. Soon enough, they fired back as bullet and flames got to him. He immediately ducked down from the incoming projectiles as he need to get out of the clearing. Getting to the edge of the building, he turned to the right and jumped off the corner of the building. Doing a flip upside down, he fired more projectiles as the team before transforming near the ground and landing on his tires, speeding away from the group. The heavies looked on as one of them pointing to him and told the others to follow.

MECH heavy 1: "One of them is getting away! After him!"

Soon enough, the heavies were on the run as they went after the scout. Thankfully, they armor and weapons were much lighter then the person back at Morrison as they could maneuver pretty easily now. As they were chasing on foot, the hacker got out of cover and took a bit of a breather.

Raf/Firewall: "Good. That will keep them busy while I rescue the hostages. If there's one thing I learned from MECH, is that they are just a dumb as the Nazi's."

Looking to the doors to the cafeteria, Raf rubbed his chin and tried to figure out what to do.

Raf/Firewall: "Hmm… Well the heavies are being disposed of, but there could be more of those soldiers still within the cafeteria keeping watch. I bust those doors down and they'll try to shoot me. And then there's the workers that are held captive. With Attinger tarnishing the Autobot's reputation, those eyewitnesses will think of us the wrong way. There's got to be something I could do to save them without revealing my identity. What to do…"

Thinking about his options, he noticed a few vents dotted on the wall. Obviously they were used to vent out the heat from the cafeteria and the kitchen cause some of the food that needs to be cooked. And if all those vents connected around the cafeteria, it could only mean something would slip in very easily. Looking to his options, he came up with another idea and had a smile on his face.

Raf/Firewall: "Oh yeah… This will work."

* * *

Returning to Arcee and Smokescreen, they were near the truck that was filled with small propane tanks and were setting up for the trap. Smokescreen has the driver's door opened while Cee banged on the steering wheel to let a compartment fall loose, exposing the wires. Once she took the wires down, she pulled a few and used her blade in cutting a few with precise aim. She then use her digits to pick the two wires that starts the engines and begin flicking them together as sparks flew out of the connection. As she was starting the truck up, Smokescreen was a little bit nervous over this.

Smokescreen: "You're sure this is going to work?"

The femme looked up to him and nodded in agreement, discussing the plan again.

Arcee: "Of course this will work, Smokescreen. From what I've heard from the others, Sari used a truck to ram it at Masterson's test run that was filled with explosives. If we can do the same, we might be able to wound Blackout's body just enough to knock the head off of it."

The Elite Guard nodded before giving a desperate sigh.

Smokescreen: "Sure wished we had Sari's key about now. That key of hers could just do wonders, whether it be healing to operate any type of machinery."

Arcee: "Well to bad we don't have one. We just have to do this the old fashion way. It's amazing how all these car theft movies Miko wanted us to watch could be useful when it comes to hijacking one of these trucks."

She kept on getting the wires together to start up the truck. Just as she was about to start it up, the two could hear heavy footsteps getting louder by the second. Turning in front of them, they could see Headmaster piloting Blackout's body as he was looking for the bodies of the Autobots. Thankfully, he was looking on the other side as not the side they are in. Smokescreen looked to this and didn't like it at all.

Smokescreen: "Scrap, he's back! This won't bode well."

Arcee saw this too and soon realized that she needed to hurry.

Arcee: "As long as he doesn't look this way, we'll be all right."

She kept sparking the wires to start the truck as the Headmaster kept searching for the bodies. As he kept searching, he decided to shrug it off and left it at that.

Henry Masterson: "This is a waste of time. No way those two would survive a blast like that. I'll just tell them that they're dead and I found the bodies. I just hope that don't do their own investigation."

Just as he said that, the femme managed to start the truck as the engines hummed to life. Unfortunately, it was loud enough to get the young scientist's attention.

Henry Masterson: "Wait! What's that noise?"

As soon as he heard that, the Elite Guard looked up see him turning and realized what just happened.

Smokescreen: "I think he heard us!"

Arcee saw this as well and could agree with him.

Arcee: "Yeah, I notice. Give me that brick over that."

Smoke turned to his side to see a loose brick next to him and threw it to Cee. The femme caught it and tossed it into the driver's side, letting it drop to the gas pedal. Once it pressed on that pedal, the truck caring the propane tanks speed up and accelerated after each second. Masterson turned to the direction of the noise and saw that truck heading towards him with increasing speeds.

Henry Masterson: "What the!"

Seeing the truck heading towards him, he pointed his weapons at it and fired his machine guns to put a stop to it. After a couple of shots, the bullets hit the propane tank and caused an explosion that ultimately turned the truck into a moving ball of fire. Henry looked on and didn't expect that to happen at all.

Henry Masterson: "Oh crud…"

Just as he said that, the burning truck collided with him and engulfed the body in flames. The two saw that and decided to strike now while he was being distracted.

Arcee: "Now! I go high, you go low!"

Smokescreen nodded as he and the femme charged in. They both then transform and sped faster just to get to him. As soon as they reach him, Arcee popped a wheelie and jumped with her back wheel high in the air while Smokescreen remained on the ground. Up in the air, Arcee transformed and deployed her blasters, firing right at the top of the Headmaster Unit, just to weaken the blow. On the ground, Smokescreen transformed back to his bipedal form to use his leg strength to jump high to the top of the building and ran on top of it. Deploying his blaster he fried right in the middle, thinking that Blackout's armor is weakened from the flames. So far, the two managed to get an advantage and were on their way to victory. That, however, took a turn for the worse as Masterson got to their play. Arcee came flying down while shooting away, before switching to her blades to begin her strike on the Headmaster Unit. But the huge arm of Blackout swat the femme like a fly and she was hit hard, going to the right and landing on the ground with a quick skid. With her temporarily out, it was all up to Smokescreen as he kept on firing and running straight to the Headmaster Unit. Running to the edge of the building, he jumped off it and kept on firing at the heavy armor. He was about to activate his Phase Shifter just to phase through Blackout's body and destroy it from the inside. But before he could even arm it, Masterson grabbed him in mid air and held on to him for a short time, trashing him around like a kid playing with its toy. After that, he threw Smoke to the same direction as the femme as Arcee started to stir from the last attack. Turning her head to the direction of Masterson, the first thing she saw is a yellow and blue blur rushing to her. She had little time to avoid that as the two collided with each other and were pushed back from that attack. Once the two stopped, they groaned and recovered from that assault. As they got up, they saw Blackout approaching them with the Headmaster unit, a little burnt due to the last attack but still standing.

Henry Masterson: "Clever move you pull there. Escaping a near death experience while trying to do the same with me? So smart of you. You, however forgot one little detail. I AM INVICIBLE!"

To that, he armed up his weapons and fired his missiles one more time. The two looked on in disbelief as Smokescreen asked Arcee for another strategy.

Smokescreen: "Um… We do have a plan C, do we?"

Cee's only response is to arm up her blasters and told him she's figuring it out.

Arcee: "Working on it. Just focus on those missiles!"

The Elite Guard member nodded and got his blaster activated. Soon enough, the two fired away as the projectiles hit the missiles that were in close range.

* * *

Returning to the courtyard of POSGO, the two Wreckers were driving in the open as electrical projectiles rained down around them. The Snipercons were all around them as they kept on firing their long range blasters to apply the brakes on them. Both Bulkhead and Wheeljack use their driving skills to drift and turn in multiple directions as they avoid the enemy onslaught as much as they could. As the two kept driving, Jackie looked right at the numbers around them.

Wheeljack: "This is a little aggressive, Bulk. With this many Con pretenders, it will be a matter of time before we get scrapped."

Bulkhead heard that through his comm. system and couldn't help but to laugh.

Bulkhead: "What's the matter, Jackie? Getting soft already?"

Wheeljack laughed it off and told him that he isn't weak.

Wheeljack: "I'm not getting soft! It's just that we never encounter these types of Cons before and there's no telling what other surprises MECH has in store for us."

Bulkhead looked to his review mirror to the left and spotted a young femme climbing up the building.

Bulkhead: "Not to worry, Jackie. Our girl will handle them. We just need to hold them off for a little while longer."

* * *

Returning to one of the buildings, a Snipercon was with the others shooting at the two Wreckers.

Snipercon 2: "Damn! These two are fast! Check your fire, focus on their driving patterns. Once you have a clear shot, take it!"

As he told the others, he didn't know that someone is coming up from behind. Climbing up to the top of the building was Kaosu as she peeked her head over the barrier and looked to see if the Snipercon was preoccupied. Lucky for her, he was a little busy as he kept shooting at the Wreckers. Slowly getting up, she sneaked behind him and formulate a strategy to herself.

Miko/Kaosu: "Okay Miko, remember was Arcee taught you. Keep your distance, be very quiet, and wait for your opportunity. When you have that shot, make the first strike. Simple enough."

She slowly sneaked to the MECH bot and was ready to make the strike. Flexing her servos, she shifted one of them into a hammer and was ready to deliver the first blow. Getting behind him, she knows how to get him down. With her free servo, she tapped her digit on his shoulder as she wound her hammer back. The Snipercon felt that and turned around to see who touched him by the shoulder. As he turned around, the last thing he saw was a robotic woman with a hammer reaching to his head. With one quick hit, the Snipercon started to get knock down easily as he flew to the air landed on the ground completely unconscious. Seeing him down, Miko smiled and loved what she did.

Miko/Kaosu: "Wow. That was easy. Looks like these Snipercons are lighter then the others. I wonder…"

Looking to the others on the other end and decided to take a different approach.

Miko/Kaosu: "Time for me to be the sniper of the Wreckers!"

Arming her shoulder mounted cannons, she took aim at the first one. Getting her target, she fired a rocket right at the first one and it flew right to him. The Snipercon wasn't aware as he was firing away at the two Autobots. That was until he got something at the corner of his eye and looked to see what it was. The last thing he saw was the missile vastly approaching him. He didn't get the chance in avoiding it as the missile hit him in the chest and it destroyed him easily. With him dead, Miko smirked wickedly and got her new strategy. Targeting the next one, shot another rocket at him and she easily destroyed her third target. Then she moved on to the forth target. Then the fifth. So far, she already eliminated half the group and was ready to destroy the rest. Knowing she had to focus on her own side, she turned to the left with a row of MECHicons to her side and aimed at the first one close by. Firing the rocket, she thought that she got this one in the bag. But then, the MECH bot got smart over it and bended back to avoid the shot, letting the missile hit part of a building, blowing it up to bits. As he got back up, he turned to the right to see the Wrecking Cadet looking dumbfounded.

Snipercon 3: "We got another one on the roof! I got her!"

Seeing him, he ran to the edge of the roof and jumped over it the ally to get the roof she was on. Once he was at her face, he retracted his sniper blaster and armed up his secondly weapon, or weapons. Two compartments opened up as they revealed long and sharp energy blades that looked at though it could cut a building in half. He used some slick and speedy moves that even the young Wrecker couldn't follow his patterns. Once he got into a deadly like stance, Miko gulped and didn't like her odds.

Miko: "Scrap…"

The Snipercon then charged right in and was ready for an attack. Kaosu quickly armed her hammers and decided to get into the defensive until she knows how to take him down. Charging in, the Snipercon used some serious slashes to get to her, while she used her hammers to protect herself from the ongoing attacks. Those the hammers are doing a good job holding the attacker at bay, the slashes have become evident on the metal surface.

* * *

Back to the main battle, the two Wreckers were driving around and avoiding the shots from the remaining snipers. As they were driving, Wheeljack looked on and through the review mirror and discovered that Kaosu was now distracted by one of the Snipercons in close quarters combat. Looking at this, he decided to intervene.

Wheeljack: "Looks like our cadet has gotten herself into a whole lot of trouble, again. Looks like someone needs to save her sorry aft."

To that, Jackie did an immediate 180 and headed straight to the direction of the Wrecking Cadet. Bulkhead saw him going that direction and demanded on where he was heading off to.

Bulkhead: "Jackie, where are you going?"

Wheeljack: "Someone has to look after the kid! Think you can handle these slaggers?"

Bulk look to the remaining group and could tell that the odds have lessened in their favor, mentally smiling in vehicle mode, he decided to take that opportunity.

Bulkhead: "Is a Sharkticon elders of Scraplets? I got this!"

Quickly, he made a quick drift and turned to the right, leaving tire treads on the ground and smoke engulfing the place. The Snipercons ceased fired as they were a little curious of what he was planning this time. Waiting for the smoke to clear, a few projectiles came through the smoke and headed straight to the first few. None of them didn't see it coming as the energy blasts hit them in the chest and they fell down easily. The remaining group saw this in shock and turned to see where that came from. To answer their question, the smoke dissipates as standing there was Bulkhead in his bipedal mode with his blasters on his arms. Smirking right at them, he decided to keep the fight going as he asked the remaining group the one question.

Bulkhead: "Want to dance?"

The remaining group looked on in complete disbelief and decided to handle the fight up close and personal. Jumping off the building, the remaining group surrounded the Wrecker and deployed their sharp blades to begin the attack. Bulked looked at each of them and could tell that he's going to get his servos full.

Bulkhead: "Looks like a ballroom brawl. That's cool… I do love to dance with different partners!"

Switching his blasters to his wrecking balls, he charged right in and began his attack against MECH.

* * *

In another part of POSGO, the small streets were quiet as no one was around. Suddenly, bullets and flames came out of the one end of the small street and a yellow and black muscle car appeared out of the blue to drift to a safe street. The car was Bumblebee in disguise as he sped as fast as he could to get away from what's attacking him. Soon enough the group of heavies arrived in the same spot Bee turned to and could see him leaving. One of them cursed and couldn't take it anymore.

MECH Heavy 1: "Argh! Blast it! That bot sure is a fast one. We have to find a way in catching up to him fast before we loose him completely."

Another heavy looked around and noticed a couple of pick up trucks that is used to carry steel cables. Pointing to it, he told him of what he found.

MECH Heavy 2: "Why don't we use those trucks over there?"

The first heavy turned to him and then the truck and was relieved that they found some alternate transportation.

MECH Heavy 1: "Yes, that will be perfect! All right men, we found our way in catching up to him. Get in those trucks and start them up. This is going to be one crazy ride."

Quickly, the group got to the trucks as one became the driver and the other was on the truck bed. Starting up the engines, the started to drive and went after the scout. Back to Bee, he was driving down the street of the factory, getting away from the enemy. Checking his review mirror, he noticed that no one was following him and he thought that he was in the clear.

Bumblebee:_** (Huh… Looks like they've given up already. Typical, their heavy body armor just couldn't get to me quicker. Better get back to Raf and see how he's doing.)**_

Before he could even return to his friend, he heard more engines from close by and thought they were a MECHicon patrol searching around. But then, he checked his mirror again and noticed that it was a group of pick up trucks. But who's driving them caught him in a loop as it was those heavies at the steering wheel.

Bumblebee: _**(Oh, you got to be fragging me!)**_

The first two pick up trucks soon enough got between the scout as two more heavies were in the back and got their chain guns/flamethrowers at the ready. The one driving saw that they are in position and decided to bring it to an end.

MECH Heavy 1: "End of the line, bug. Now!"

The two soldiers started their weapons as their drums were spinning and the flames were warming up. Seeing the situation he's in, Bee decided drive defensively. Putting the crank shaft down to R, he applied the breaks and made a quick reverse to avoid the incoming firepower. The two heavies, however, got caught by the unexpected move and were caught in each other's projectiles, killing themselves on contact. One of the heavies looked to that mess as the two dead MECH soldiers fell off the truck bed and on the ground.

MECH Heavy 1: "Shit! Damn bug certainly knows how to escape. Unit three and four, we got two men down and the Autobot is approaching your position in reverse. Put a stop to him at once!"

Bee kept on speeding in reverse to find an alternate way out of this mess. Looking back with his review mirrors, he could see two more pick up trucks heading towards him.

Bumblebee: _**(Oh boy… Not good…)**_

Switching back to drive, he spotted a narrow street wide enough to fit in and steered to the right. Fortunately, he managed to get away from the group. Unfortunately for the heavies, their pick up trucks were a bit too big for get through that narrow path. All four trucks made an abrupt stop in front of the narrow path and couldn't get through. One of them hit the dashboard and was irate.

MECH Heavy 1: "Damn it! Everyone go around! That bot is smart, but there's only one way out."

Immediately, the cars maneuvered out of the way and went around the two manufacturing buildings to get to the scout.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the cafeteria of the administration office of POSGO, MECH soldiers were guarding the area while kidnapped workers were held hostage. The group kept their ground as they waited for any news on the outside.

MECH Soldier 6: "Hey! What do you think is going on out there? Sounded like a lot of gunfire."

The other MECH soldier turned to his friend and explained about the situation.

MECH Soldier 7: "Heard on the comm. channel that the Autobots have entered the facility. The MECH bots are holding them back and they already brought MECH's newest asset to the mix."

MECH Soldier 6: "You mean that young scientist the Director brought in? Yeah, I heard of him. Guy sounds like a loon if you ask me."

As the conversation went on, the vent that was behind them started to force open lightly and started to pull off its hinges with great strength. What it was is a long cable snaking out of the ventilation system and using it's grappler to hold it tightly. Once it was out, it wormed down and started to get to the two soldiers from behind. But the henchmen didn't know this as they were discussing about Masterson.

MECH Soldier 7: "True, he's a little acentric, but his skills are very resourceful. His Headmaster Unit is quite a work, especially when it comes to connecting the head to the body of a late soldier of ours.

MECH Soldier 6: "Yeah… Heard about what happened to him. Poor Jenkins… Heard that one of the Autobots used his own weapon against him. What a way to go."

MECH Soldier 7: "Well at least he served his purpose for MECH. We all do when we sign up for the cause. Though he might be lost, his legacy for MECH will never be forgotten."

MECH Soldier 6: "Hmph… Amen to that."

The two held their ground while keeping watch at the hostages they've gathered. As they were keeping watch, the cable got to the ground and started to worm its way straight to the two guards. By the time it got close, it started to spark electricity and headed to the one of the right. The moment it got close to the soldier, it sparked him with high electric charge. The MECH soldier felt that and screamed completely before falling to the floor and was unconscious in mere moments. The other soldier looked down to him and was shocked to seem him taken down that easily.

MECH Soldier 7: "What the-"

Before he could even react, the came cable latched on to his own foot and he took was shocked completely before passing out. The others heard the screamed and rushed in to check on them, while the cable slid back and went into hiding into the vent. As the group approach the two down soldiers, one of them muscled in to check up on them.

MECH Soldier 8: "Move it! Let me see what happened!"

Everyone else moved aside as one of them checked on the two down soldiers. Checking on their pulses, he could tell that they survived, but they are unconscious.

MECH Soldier 8: "They're fine, but they seem to be knocked out by some unknown force."

All of them looked to each other and were quite shocked on this type of news.

MECH Soldier 9: "But we rounded up all the workers here. No way had we missed one in our search."

MECH Soldier 8: "Maybe… But we better make sure. Split up and search the cafeteria! Our unknown assailant's got to be near."

The others soon nodded and started to split up in search of the unknown intruder while the others remained where they are and guard the hostages. One soldier was walking by the wall, keeping close watch on anything unusual. Passing under another vent, the grating opened up as the same extended cable was holding it. Lowering to the ground to place the grating gently, it wormed its way to the next guard and latched onto its foot, sending in an electrical surge into him. He scream in shock before dropping cold on the floor as the cable snaked back into the vent. Another guard was at the corner of the cafeteria as scanned the entire area for this intruder. Above him, another vent grating was pulled inward and the same cable extended downwards to his position. He didn't even know that it was coming to him until it was too late as the cable latched onto his back and gave him a strong enough shock. Once he was down for the count, the cable lifted itself up and disappeared through the ceiling.

In another part of the cafeteria, another guard was walking by and was looking for this person that attacked two of his men, not realizing what happened to the other two. Looking back and forth, he notice a kitchen and was curious if the intruder is in there. Deciding to take the risk, he headed to the kitchen to check and see if this person is around. Entering the kitchen, he could tell that it was state of the art, with fridges, stoves, ovens, and the like. Looking around, he walked through the kitchen to see if this person is hiding. Turning to the pantry closet, he slowly approached it and readies his weapon. Placing a hand on the handle, he took a deep breath and opened it fully, pointing his rifle at something. Looking on, he noticed that there was nothing there but bread and snacks. The soldier groaned to himself and decided to leave it at that. But as he was thinking about leaving, he heard his own stomach grumbling and looked to the pantry that was stocked with food.

MECH Soldier 10: "Maybe I could give myself a bit of a break… I haven't eaten much in a while and no one else is the in kitchen."

To that end, he walking into the pantry closet to help himself with whatever he wanted. As he was rummaging for food, the vent on the kitchen ceiling opened up and the same cable came down and headed to the soldier. At first it would shock him just like the others. But then, it noticed that he was preoccupied getting some food. Seeing this, it looked to the pantry door and came up with a really good idea, snaking its way to the handle. As it was putting its plan to motion, the soldier kept looking through some food to see if there is anything good to eat, not aware of the cable close by.

MECH Soldier 10: "Sweet! They got Twinkies? You rarely find that stuff around here. Heard that they don't expire much."

He started to gather those Twinkies and was about ready to leave. But as he was going to, the pantry door closed on him and locked him on the inside. The MECH soldier got startled as he turned to see the door closed by itself. Approaching it, he turned the knob to open it, but unfortunately, it was locked up tight.

MECH Soldier 10: "The Hell? It's bolted shut!"

Quickly he knocked on the door and demanded for someone to open it.

MECH Soldier 10: "Hey! What's the big deal?!"

Outside, the cable locked the door and broke the handle, preventing him from getting out as the soldier kept on banging.

MECH Soldier 10: "Is this some type of sick joke?! Open this door right now!"

Once the door was sealed tight, the cable looked around and noticed that all the kitchen appliances were state of the art, with computers operating the stoves and fridges. Seeing this, it came up with another great idea and snaked around to one of the stoves and started to connect itself with one of the computers. Letting the wires penetrate into the display case, it accessed the gas line to turn it up high and then lighted up the flames. It then moved to the next once and did the same thing as the last. Then the next… And the next… Once all the stoves have been hacked, the cable got back into the vent before the stoves could turn on.

Back into the cafeteria, all the soldiers regrouped together as one of them ask for the report.

MECH Soldier 8: "Report. Have you found the intruder?"

The group shook their heads as one of them approached him.

MECH Soldier 9: "No sir. We haven't found anyone we missed. Maybe the two had a bit of a brawl and knocked each other out."

The leading soldier looked to him and didn't think that's possible.

MECH Soldier 8: "Highly unlikely… No doubt the bastard is hiding. Keep searching! Leave no stone unturned! Trash the place if you want to! The intruder must be found!"

The others nodded and was about to check again. But the leader looked to the group and notice that three of his men were missing. Scratching his head, he was completely confused about it.

MECH Soldier 8: "Uh… Aren't we missing a few more people?"

Everyone looked at each other and soon realized that he was right. There were a few extra people missing from the group. Before anyone could figure out what happened to them, a huge explosion came out of the kitchen as the group and the hostages were pushed away from the blast. The foundation shook from the explosion as the lights flickered a little bit. The group got up as the sprinkler system activated and drenched the entire place in water. Recovering from the blast, the soldier looked to the fire spewing out of the hole through the kitchen and didn't expected it at all.

MECH Soldier 8: "What the hell? Was that some type of explosion?"

The other soldiers looked to the source of the huge blast too and was wondering about that as well. What none of them didn't know is that the vents behind them opened up and small groups of extended cables started to stretch to their position. Still none of them didn't see them coming until it was too late, as one of the soldier turned around noticing thin shadows from behind. Looking behind him, he was in a state of shock and warned the others about it.

MECH Soldier 9: "Holy shit! What are those things?!"

The others soon turned to what the soldier was looking at and saw them as well. Long metal cables with pincers snapping at them. The leading soldier saw this and decided to react.

MECH Soldier 8: "Open fire! OPEN FIRE!"

Quickly, everyone fired their rifles right at them and tried to cut them off. But the cables moved incredibly fast and avoided each shot before lunging at them and beginning the attack.

* * *

Outside of the cafeteria, Firewall was sitting cross legged with all of his cables entered the one vent he found. On his visor he was watching the soldiers he's fighting getting knocked down and picked up on multiple screens. What he was doing is using his cables in wiping out the guards before freeing the hostages. A smile came out of his face and was enjoying his work.

Raf/Firewall: "Better then any video game I ever played."

* * *

Down at the courtyard, Kaosu was holding her own as she and the Snipercon went at it with their close quarters weapons. The Wrecking cadet used her gravity hammers to protect herself while looking for the right opening. The Snipercon had two long energy blades to slice her up cleanly. A cut to the right, one to the left, a diagonal up and a diagonal down. He was pushing her back as she kept defending herself. Her hammers protected herself from these insane attacks, but they were showing multiple scratches on the surface.

Miko/Kaosu: "C'mon, you craze lunatic! Give up already so I can hit you!"

She kept on protecting herself as the MECH bot kept pushing her back. As she kept stepping back, she was nearing the edge and could feel herself loosing ground. Looking back at the road below, she gulped and soon realized that she was in deep scrap.

Miko/Kaosu: "Not good…"

Looking back, she could see the Snipercon ready to deliver the final blow as it got back and was about to thrust his blade to her. Before it could even deliver the final blow, he was attacked by a while, red, and green blur. Miko watched on as the Con wannabe went to the ground and dragged to the other edge of the building. But what she saw gave her a lot of relief as the blur was Wheeljack giving her a quick assist. He approached cadet, and checked on her.

Wheeljack: "Kid, you're all right."

The cadet smiled and told him she's fine.

Miko/Kaosu: "I'm cool, thanks to you."

The Wrecker smirked and could tell that she'll make it through. Then he turned to the Snipercon and was a little upset about what he did to her. As the MECH bot got up to see Jackie approaching him and looked ready to strike.

Wheeljack: "If you want to strike blades, try me on for size."

He closed up his mouth guard and took his swords out, ready to try out his blades against the enemy. The Snipercon got his blades at the ready and the two charged in to dual it out. The two clash it out as metal collided with each other as sparks fly. The two kept on attacking each other as the weapons kept colliding with each other and were pulling slick moves to even each other out. Wheeljack did a quick spin to deliver a swift strike high above as the metal soldier lifted his blade up to block it high. He then used his other blade to strike to the side as Jackie started to bend to the side to avoid that strike. Getting his other sword, he thrust it to the other side in order to make it even. The sniper backed up and rolled out of the way to avoid that attack. Switching his weapons back to his sniper blaster, he charged a shot and fired right at the Autobot. Wheeljack saw it coming and jumped out of the way, doing a quick somersault while the electrical projectile flew below his back in slow motion. Putting his swords away, he armed his blaster and fired right at the MECH enemy. The Snipercon reacted by running and flipping like a maniac, avoiding each projectile very swiftly and easily. At the same time he aimed his sniper blaster in the air and fired more shots at the Wrecker. Jackie immediately made a made dash as the electrical blasts missed him by inches while he fired away on him. Kaosu looked on in the distance and watched in awe as the two duke it out with blasters and weapons. The two had at it as they were evenly matched. Just then, the two had their hind sights set to each other as they both fired their blasters at the same time. Both projectiles collided with each other and created a huge blast that pushed them both near the edge. The two quickly reacted by getting their swords out and penetrating them on the concrete ground, stopping them near the edge as line marks follow. Once they made a quick stop, the two looked at each other sternly and pried their weapons out of the concrete roof, charging at each other with a war cry. Soon enough the two collided with their swords as they clashes were rough and hard. Wheeljack performed a serous 360 spin and used his swords as a blender to slice and dice the enemy. The sniper took to the defensive and positioned his energy blades to the front to protect himself from the ongoing attack. The blades kept hitting him hard as sparks flew in one direction. After so much force, he was caught in the loop and lost some balance. This gave Wheeljack the opening he needed as he completed the spin and delivered a back roundhouse kick to the faceplate, knocking him down to the ground. With the MECH bot out, Jackie smirked to himself and decided to finish it off.

Wheeljack: "Nice fight. But I think it's time I end this little feud."

Scraping his blades together, he was just about ready to end the MECHicon once and for all. Unfortunately, he didn't came prepared for what was about to happen next. The sniper started to regain consciousness and armed his blaster, charging it to full power. Once he got it ready, he waited until it was time to strike. That time is when the Wrecker lifted his swords high in the air and was ready to deliver the final blow. Sensing that opportunity, he rolled around to avoid the death blow and aimed his sniper blaster right at his chest plate. Jackie didn't have time in avoiding it as he was hit hard by the projectile as electricity sparked about him before passing out. The moment he fell to the floor, the Snipercon got up and enjoyed his work. Miko though looked on in shock and didn't like what happened at all.

Miko: "Oh no… Not again…"

Her shock soon turned to anger as she decided to act now before it's too late. Back to Wheeljack, he was in far worse shape as the dart latched on to his chest kept him out. Pointing his blade at the Wrecker's helm, he looked on in delight and decided to put an end to all of it.

Snipercon 3: "You're right. It was a nice fight."

He then lifted his blade up and was ready to decapitate him. But before he could actually do that, he heard something being fired and looked to that direction to see what it is. Of course it was too little, too late as a rocket came out of nowhere and hit him squarely in the chest, creating a hole and killing him in on shot. Once he was down, Wheeljack started to open his optics and groaned, wondering what happened. Getting up, he turned to see the dead Snipercon, but he didn't kill him. Trying to figure out what just happened, a famine hand was reached out and he looked up to see Kaosu smiling with one of her shoulder mounted rocket launchers still active.

Miko/Kaosu: "Seriously Jackie? Do I really have to save you every time you get taken down?"

The Wrecker looked for her for a little bit and could tell that she saved him, yet again. He grabbed her servo to help himself up and looked down to his chest plate to remove the dart that was on him. Turning back to her, he smiled and just feels a little embarrassed.

Wheeljack: "You know, that's twice you saved me from a near death experience cadet. It seems like I have a guardian angel on my shoulder."

The Wrecking Cadet smiled and asked him for a quick favor.

Miko/Kaosu: "Well, next time don't get into fights you cannot win."

Jackie nodded and understand what she meant.

Wheeljack: "I'll try to remember that next time."

They then heard an explosion from not far from them and turned to see Bulkhead taking on the remaining Snipercons on the roofs. Seeing him holding his own, they turned to each other and decided to help him.

Wheeljack: "Should we go and help him out?"

Miko shrugged it off and told him they have to.

Miko/Kaosu: "A Wrecker never leaves a comrade behind."

Wheeljack: "Then let's provide Bulkhead some backup!"

The two quickly jumped off the building and transformed into their vehicles to speed towards their friend.

* * *

Back to Bulkhead, he was having a difficult time with the Snipercons as he was ducking it out with his wrecking balls. He kept on smashing through the opposition as the MECH bots backed away to avoid the fight. A few of them though just didn't get as lucky as they were taken out easily. He kept on hitting them with everything he got and was getting annoyed by their agility.

Bulkhead: "C'mon you crazy Con posers! Quite moving around like a bunch of acrobats! Hold still so I could punch you!"

He then waved his wrecking balls around and managed to hit another one, but the others started to scatter. Seeing them moving around, he decided go long range and switched to his blasters, shooting at the MECH's latest addition to their armory. After a couple of shots, he managed to take down two more, but the others remained firm and stood their ground. He continued to fire more and more as he wasn't aware that the others were simply distracting him from the big picture. That big picture involves a Snipercon hitting him in the back with a dart as it surged with high electricity. Bulk screamed in anguish as he collapsed from the ground and was out of it. The Snipercons then surround the downed Wrecker as one of them pointed the blade right at the back of the head.

Snipercon 4: "Man, this one is tough as nails. Lacking the brains department though."

Snipercon 5: "Tell me about it. If these Autobots are dumber then they look, then our victory would be just as easy."

As soon as he said that, a missile came out of the blue and hit him, killing him on contact. The others looked on and were very confused of what transpired just now. Looking back, they could see a white, red, and green race car and a purple and pink McLaren with flame decals heading straight to them with the McLaren deploying its rocket launchers in the trunk. This was of course Miko and Wheeljack as they sped straight to their friend.

Miko/Kaosu: "No one hurts my Bulkhead and gets away with it!"

Quickly, she fired more missiles and took out two more MECHicons very easily. At the same time, Wheeljack went away and sped faster, wanting to finish with the rest. Speeding up, he immediately transformed and jumped high into the air, deploying his katanas and ready to rip out a new one. Heading straight to the first one, he made a clean cut to the neck and the metal soldier was decapitated. Landing on the ground, he went on in taking out the rest of the Snipercons as they had little time in avoiding his assault. With a few precise cuts, he was able to remove arms and legs, letting them leak to death. He then focused on the last one as he duck down the strike that was going for his head. Upon doing that, he found an opening and struck right into the chest plate, through the spark chamber where he killed him off very easily. Once all the Snipercons were defeated, Bulkhead started to come to and was confused of what hit him. Looking around, he noticed that there were MECH bots all over the floor with dismembered body parts scattered about. Confused, he saw Wheeljack getting his swords back and turned to his friend with a sly grin.

Wheeljack: "Did we miss anything, Bulk?"

Bulkhead looked on in amazement and decided to let it slide.

Bulkhead: "Naw… I had it under control."

Wheeljack looked to the remainder of the Snipercons that are now dead and chuckled to himself.

Wheeljack: "Whatever you say, Bulk."

Just as said that, Miko approached his friend in vehicle mode as she transformed and made a quick stop with her pedes. Approaching his side, she checked on him and got him up.

Miko/Kaosu: "Bulkhead! Are you okay?"

The Wrecker turned to his friend and smiled to her.

Bulkhead: "I'm fine Miko. It's nothing to worry about. I've been through worse then this."

The Wrecking cadet gave a quirky smirk and was a bit quiet about it.

Miko/Kaosu: "Uh-huh…. You've certainly been through worse. Hardshell was the worse of them all."

The two laughed it up as Wheeljack headed to them to get to the next task.

Wheeljack: "All right, the goon patrol has been taken care of. Perhaps now would be the time in aiding Arcee with her own problem."

Bulk and Kaosu turned to their comrade and decided to head on out.

Bulkhead: "Agreed. Whatever she and Smoke is facing, they are going to need all the help they can get. Let's roll out!"

Soon enough, the three made a run before immediately transformed to speed up to the two. Yet they weren't going to expect running into someone else.

* * *

Back to Bumblebee, he was speeding away as they took a narrow ally to loose the Heavies. Once he checked his review mirrors, he was relieved that they aren't following him anymore.

Bumblebee: _**(Finally, they're out of my helm. Now I have to get back to Raf and see how the rescue operation is going. Let's hope he isn't getting himself into trouble as well.)**_

He made his way out of the ally and was back on the main paths, wanting to turn around to get to the hacker's position. But just as he was getting out, a pair of headlights came close to his side and took him out in ramming speeds. Bee didn't see that coming as he got pushed hard and tumbled in vehicle mode before transforming midway through and skidding on the ground. The scout made a complete stop as he tried to get up to recover. Unfortunately for him is that another pick up came out of the blue and did an Orton punt with the bumper, knocking him out completely. As he was laying there on the floor, two more pick up trucks came up and the four surrounded the prone scout. Getting out, the remaining Heavies, with the exception of the two dead ones were around the scout as they were ready to tear him apart.

MECH Heavy 2: "You're right about that bug. Easy to squish.

The first one nodded and decided to end it.

MECH Heavy 1: "Too bad he didn't get squished completely. Maybe we should fumigate the yellow bastard and be done with it. And by fumigation, I mean burn him alive?"

The others soon nodded as they pointed their weapons right at him and were about to pull the triggers to ignite the flames. Bee started to stir as they did that and couldn't defend himself in this state. He was about to be engulfed in flames until something unexpected happened. What the Heavies didn't know is that a two waves of sound came out of the nowhere and pushed the group and the cars away from the bug. The group was caught off guard and couldn't regain any ground as they were flying right to a nearby wall. Soon enough, they all collided to the wall of a building while the trucks they rode in flew towards them, crushing most of them in seconds. Once the sound blast was done, the surviving group fell off and were out of it while the trucks fell off the reveal what remains of the other heavies. As it was all over, the scout flickered his optics and was in a daze. He started to wonder what happened when he managed to get up. Turning to the left, he saw the multiple Heavies and cars on the side, all destroyed or knocked down. Scratching the back of his helm, he was completely confused of what happened.

Bumblebee: _**(Huh… What happened to them? I don't remember doing that to them.)**_

As he was trying to figure out what happened, he could heard the voice of a familiar Japanese femme.

Miko/Kaosu: "Wow Bee, you certainly know how to say thanks."

Bee turned to the direction of the voice and saw all three Wreckers standing there with smiles on their faces. The scout was surprised as he rushed right to them.

Bumblebee: _**(What are you guys doing here? I thought you three were a little busy handling those MECHicons.)**_

Jackie shrugged it off and told him that they had everything under control.

Wheeljack: "We did, though we kind of got introduced by MECH's newest of toys. Had to handle them swiftly before they could scrap us."

Bulk turned to his friend and argued about it.

Bulkhead: "You mean I had to handle them swiftly. You two were a little preoccupied with your own troubles."

Wheeljack turned to Bulk and told him that they had it.

Wheeljack: "Well we are still alive, are we? At least be thankful we saved your aft from getting cut in two."

Miko then look to the two and reminded the Wrecker about what he did.

Miko/Kaosu: "And I had to save yours when that Snipercon was going to behead you."

Jackie turned to Kaosu and knew she had a point.

Wheeljack: "Good point cadet. You certainly know how to save lives."

Bulk looked to the two and could tell that Wreckers look out for each other. Turning back to Bee, he asked about his friend.

Bulkhead: "Where's Firewall? I thought he's with you."

Bee could tell he wanted to know about his friend and told them what happened.

Bumblebee: _**(He was. But when MECH's heavies started to attack, I had to keep them busy and away from him while he rescued the hostages. It was his idea.)**_

Bulk listened and decided to head to the hacker to see if he's fine.

Bulkhead: "Can you take us to him?"

Bee nodded and told them to go with him.

Bumblebee: _**(Follow me.)**_

He quickly turned around and transformed to speed and trace his treads back to the cafeteria. The Wreckers transformed into their vehicle forms and followed after the scout, hoping that the young mech didn't get himself killed.

* * *

Returning to the Cafeteria, Raf was still in the rescue assignment and was fine about it. In fact, he was having a good time as he used his metal tentacles to simply lay waste to the soldiers of MECH. At first, he planned on stealth attacking, but the distraction in the kitchen created a new plan for him to do. That plan is a full on assault on the MECH soldiers. The soldiers in the cafeteria were being rough housed around like rag dolls while the hacker was outside viewing the screens on his visor. Most of them were completely knocked out by the cables as the others were holding their ground. They kept shooting their rifles at them but they wormed around easily and avoided each shot. Two of them dove down and grab the two soldiers by the legs and pull them, forcing them on the floor and dragging them under tables and chairs. Another cable came to the next one and wrapped around his neck, lifting him up from the ground and choking him to death. Looking the cables attacking his men, the leader had had it and decided to put a stop to it all.

MECH Soldier 8: "God damn it, you bastards! You want to play rough?"

He then grabbed the other rifle on the ground and was holding two with both hands, ready to take them on for a full on assault.

MECH Soldier 8: "Let's play rough!"

Using his dual weapons, he fired away and was acting a like a mad man. The remaining tentacles were avoiding those said shots and were surrounding the last soldier. The leader spread his arms wide and tried to shoot them on both ends, still he couldn't get the job done. Spinning in a circle, he tried and tried, but anything he do wouldn't make much of a difference. The moment the cables were around him, one made a quick strike and then another, wanting to catch him off guard. The leader shoot at both of them as they were temporarily wounded and went back to their proper positions. He waited until another set struck and he shoot them down. And then another. And another. He was shooting over and over, but he couldn't keep them at bay. Almost immediately, all the cables rose in the air and clamped their pincers together to handle the final blow. Seeing them all, the MECH soldier went irate and decided to end it all.

MECH Soldier 8: "Die, you slithery assholes!"

Pulling the triggers, he fired on all of them and hope that he would take them out. The group of cables started to scatter and flew in multiple directions. They all then turned direction and headed straight to the last soldier as he kept on shooting. He did a huge war cry as the cables came close to him and started the final strike. Soon after that, the entire place was silent as there was no shot sounded. The strangest part is that the hostages didn't expect anything as they were tied up where they were and had blindfolds on them. Just then, the few cables approached the hostages and got close to the binds on their hands. With one quick snap, they all cut the ropes on the hands and feet and freed them. All the workers felt that and got up as the cables slithered away and went back to the vents. Once everyone got up, they removed their blindfolds and wondered what happened. When they got their sights back, they were stunned to see the cafeteria a complete mess as tables and chairs were toppled over, the kitchen was smoldering, and all the MECH solider were knocked down. The group saw all of this and scratched their heads in wonder.

POSGO Worker: "Whoa… Look at this mess… What happened here?"

The Head of the company looked around and noticed that all the guards were taken care of, enough for them to make an escape.

Head of POSGO: "I don't know and I don't care. What I do know is that whoever did this certainly paved the way out of here. Come on everyone! We're leaving!"

All the workers and security guards nodded as they all made a mad dash towards to exit. As they were making an escape, they were passing the leading soldier and was in worse of shapes, with a chair lodged around his head and a few broken bones from the tight grip of the cables.

* * *

Outside of the cafeteria, Firewall retracted all of his cables as he hid close to the exit. Peeking to the side, he spotted the cafeteria doors forced opened and every worker and security were running out of it.

Head of POSGO: "Move it! Head to the emergency exit underground! It's will take us out of the facility!"

Just as he said that, one of the security guards heard it and shocked.

Frank: "Hold up. We have an underground emergency exit? I don't recall something like that."

Tom turned to him and explained about it.

Tom: "Of course we have one, Frank. The map of the facility strictly states that and under tunnel was build to get people to safety in an event of a forest fire or a missile bombardment."

Frank heard this and was surprised by it.

Frank: "Seriously? I thought that was a pipe for the raw sewage. Trust me, with the bathrooms these days, there's no telling how bad it smells."

Tom sighed to himself and hope that his friend didn't use that.

Tom: "This is going to be a long run…."

The moment everyone disappeared from view, Raf came out of cover and felt proud of his work.

Raf/Firewall: "Score one for Firewall. Man that was exciting. Can't wait to tell Bee about this."

Bumblebee: _**(Tell me about what?)**_

The hacker was caught off guard by the sound of a familiar beeping voice and turned to the right to see both Bee and the Wreckers standing there. He was a little ecstatic as he rushed to him.

Raf/Firewall: "Bee! You all right!"

He went in and hugged him lightly before the scout let him go and rubbed the side of his helm.

Bumblebee: _**(Just barely… That slagging MECH soldiers nearly decapitated my head from that last surprise attack.)**_

Raf heard that and was a little surprised by it.

Raf/Firewall: "Are you okay after that, Bee?"

The scout's response was a quick twist on the shoulder and a simple compliment.

Bumblebee: _**(I'll manage. What about you? Were you able to rescue the hostages?)**_

The hacker smirked to himself and told him about that.

Raf/Firewall: "You could say that. With MECH guards looking after the workers and the door being the only way in, I can't just barge in for a full frontal assault. So I had to take some sneaky methods."

When he said that, he opened his compartment to let one of his cables slither out. The four looked on and wondered what he meant by that. That's when Wheeljack looked into the open doors of the cafeteria and was stunned at the sight of the aftermath, whistling to himself.

Wheeljack: "Dang kiddo, you certainly did a number of these fleshies. Where were you when we were being man handled by those Snipercons?"

Kaosu soon joined in and reminded him that it was nothing compared to what she did.

Miko/Kaosu: "Come on, Jackie, that doesn't look like much. He just roughed them up a little bit. Now what I did I whack one of them with my hammer and sprayed the others with my rockets! Now that's a stealth attack!"

Wheeljack turned to her and reminded her of what happened next.

Wheeljack: "Sure, right before one of them caught up to you and tried to slice you to bits."

The cadet looked embarrassed and decided to end the talk in a sheepish manner.

Miko/Kaosu: "Exnay on the Slicingstay…"

Bulkhead look to the two and decided to focus on the main task.

Bulkhead: "All right, that's enough you two, we need to focus on finding Arcee and Smokescreen."

Right as he said that, they were some huge explosions coming from close by. Turning to the direction of the blast, they looked on and saw billowing smoke coming from the storage and docking.

Bumblebee: _**(I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that they are over there.)**_

Wheeljack thought that too and decided to get to it.

Wheeljack: "And what gave that away? C'mon everyone! Those two need our help!"

Soon enough, the Wrecker went ahead and transformed, going straight to the blast while the others transformed behind and went after them.

* * *

Returning to Arcee and Smokescreen, the two were having more problems then the others. Masterson was piloting the Blackout's body as he kept on shooting missiles right at the two. With their blasters armed, they kept on firing to knock the flying projectiles out of the sky. Yet no matter what, more and more kept coming as they were a little overwhelmed.

Smokescreen: "There's too many of them! We can't take them all on ourselves!"

The femme looked back to the Elite Guard member and was curious.

Arcee: "Well if you have a better plan, then let me hear it!"

He thought quick and hard as he came up with a really good idea.

Smokescreen: "Just one, but I hope Jack doesn't take it the wrong way!"

With that said, he started to turn his phase shifter on and rushed to the two-wheeler, to give her a quick hug. As he did that, the remaining missiles flew towards them and hit them. But thanks to the relic Smoke has, a few of the missiles phased through them as other around them exploded, creating a plume of smoke and fire. Once all the missiles tore up the streets, Masterson looked on and was pleased with his accomplishment.

Henry Masterson: "Yes! Score one for Headmaster. Still, they did escape that last explosion. Need to take a closer look to see if they're dead, just in case."

He lowered himself to the smoldering flames and wondered if those two are finally dead. But as he was close enough, Arcee came out through the flames and right to the head with her fists incredibly tight and blades extended. With one quick hit, she punched the Headmaster unit between the eyes and used the blade in embed deep to the skin, showing enough force to push the body back. As she held on, she used her free servo and turned it into a blaster to shoot right at the face as Masterson was getting annoyed by it.

Henry Masterson: "Argh! You crazy bitch! Get off of my face this instant!"

Yet she didn't listen as she was shooting at the neckline to loosen the unit. Meanwhile, on the ground, Smokescreen came out of the flames and used his blaster to shoot Blackout's legs to bring it down to size. With each full powered shot, the projectiles kept on hitting the legs and looked like it did some serious damage, but not so much. So far, they were getting the upper hand as the two try to knock the big giant down. Masterson was getting a little fed up with them and decided to get into the defensive.

Henry Masterson: "Think trying to take my head off again with that maneuver will get? Think again missy! I've already came prepared in case you teabag me."

In the cockpit, he got to a blinking button and pressed it hard. Meanwhile, Arcee was holding on with her blade latched to the Headmaster Unit in an attempt to shoot the base of the neck with her highly powered shots. What she didn't know is that Masterson has another trick up his sleeve as the eyes glowed brightly yellow to light blue. Almost instantly, the head started to spark electricity and it spread through the femme's body, screaming in agony. Masterson looked to this through the monitors and was delighted that it worked.

Henry Masterson: "Felt that?! That's 5,000 volts of electricity coursing through your body. A little safety measure after the last time you got to my head. I'm like a walking bug zapper, noob!"

Arcee was in complete shock as she couldn't take the torment anymore. Almost immediately, she passed out and the blade loosened, letting her fall to the ground completely passed out. Smokescreen saw her falling and had to react quickly.

Smokescreen: "Arcee!"

He quickly, transformed and sped straight to the falling two-wheeler. The moment he neared her, he transformed back and skidding on the ground with his rear on the floor. Getting below her, he reached his arms out and was successful in grabbing Arcee before impacting the floor. He then jumped up and ran as fast as he could, going between Blackout's legs and getting to the other side. Headmaster turned around with his unit turning to them and had enough.

Henry Masterson: "Running away? But we're just getting started!"

To that end, he lifted his foot up and stomped it hard on the ground. That stomp created a shockwave and spread wide and caused warehouse windows to shatter. That very shockwave caught Smokescreen as well as he got pushed from the force and the two flew to the wall. Both were hit hard and they slumped to the floor and were completely out. Once they got knocked out, Masterson turned his Blackout body too them and was pleased with what he just done.

Henry Masterson: "Yes! Who's the man? Headmaster's the man! Now, time to remove some pesky bots."

He pointed his arms right at them and armed up his Gatling guns to begin the final kill. Just as he was about to pull it off, a bunch of missiles came out of the blue and hit the arms of Blackout. The two missiles exploded on impact and it nearly disabled his weaponry.

Henry Masterson: "Ah! What the-"

As if on cue, a purple and pink McLaren with flame decals sped on ahead and did a quick donut before transforming into Kaosu and pointing both her sonic blasters and shoulder mounted missiles at the threat.

Miko/Kaosu: "No one hurts my team!"

Soon after she said it, more cars came to her position as they too transformed into the rest of Team Prime. They all got their weapons out and got into their stances for the fight. Both Arcee and Smokescreen recovered from the last attack and slowly started to get up. As the two look up with blinking optics, they could see the rest of the team coming to their aid and were pleased that they have finally come. Wheeljack turned to the two and checked to see if they're fine.

Wheeljack: "You two all right?"

Arcee was the first to respond as she was recovering from the electrical attack.

Arcee: "We're fine… Though I'm in desperate need of electric shock therapy."

Jackie gave a quick smirk and knew that they'll make it out in one piece. He then went back to the group and was ready to feud it out with the opposition. Once they saw this threat, they did a double take and was completely confused by this enemy.

Bulkhead: "Hey… Isn't that Blackout? Thought Rodimus behead him."

Raf looked at it too and soon realized that the head looked familiar.

Raf/Firewall: "He did. But look at the head. That's the Headmaster Unit!"

The others looked on in shock and soon realized what it meant.

Wheeljack: "The Headmaster Unit? Then that means…"

Bumblebee: _**(Masterson is back!)**_

The Headmaster Unit looked down to the group and was delighted to see everyone together.

Henry Masterson: "Ah… Isn't that sweet… The whole gang is together again! And just in time too. As I'm about ready to wipe the whole team out!"

Immediately, he pointed his arms at them again and fired his rockets this time. The others saw this as both Cee and Smoke managed to stand up and told the others to move.

Arcee: "Scatter!"

Immediately, they all transform and drove in different directions between and around Blackout's legs. At the same time, the missiles hit the ground and blew up, but missed the team completely. Once they were around the threat, they all soon transformed back and fired with their blasters and rockets of their own. A bunch of them did make contact, still, it didn't prove much. All Masterson could do is gloat at the fact that they was using their small weapons against his newly required body.

Henry Masterson: "You think those little peashooters can bring me down? You haven't learned from the other two I have to take care of! No matter, you are all going to die anyways!"

He then got all of his weapons armed to kill and looked for the closest target out there. And the closest target was that of Bumblebee and Firewall as they were on the roof after transforming to get some sort of leverage. He first fired a few missiles and they headed straight towards them. Raf saw them approaching and intervened by pointing his tazer blaster at them and fired a fully charged shot. That shot hit the missiles as they short circuited and fell down to the ground, exploding near Blackout's foot. Master saw the damage caused by that failed explosion and was getting aggravated.

Henry Masterson: "Oh… A smart bot, huh? Well then, THINK FAST!"

Almost immediately, the started to fire all the rockets in on got and waited to see the fireworks from below. Raf saw this and kept on shooting his tazer blaster at then one by one, but they were overwhelming him completely. Bee though joined in and used his own blasters to fire at the rest of them and help aid his friend. Even with their together firepower, it won't be enough to slow the attack down. Just then, more missiles came heading towards them as the two decided to make their leave.

Bumblebee: _**(Bail!)**_

The two jumped off the building in opposite directions as the missiles hit the roof and destroyed a part of it completely. Masterson could see them leave and decided to go after one of them.

Henry Masterson: "Running away? I don't think so!"

He turned his arm to Firewall as the hacker was driving in vehicle mode through an ally. He targeted him and was about to use the one missile to apply the breaks on him, for good. But just as he was about to fire, a huge pulse blast came right through the unit as it shook violently. Masterson could hear it in his cockpit and placed his hands to his ears to mute that sound.

Henry Masterson: "AAAHHHHHH! What the hell?! What's this infernal racket?! That's as worse as those Bash Monkeys bastards!"

Miko/Kaosu: "Hey!"

Masterson heard the voice of a young Japanese girl and turned the Headmaster unit to see the Wrecking Cadet standing there with her sonic blasters armed and a look to destroy.

Miko/Kaosu: "They're called Slash Monkeys, you dweeby nerd. And their music is the bomb! Just like what you're going to be!"

Getting her shoulder mounted rocket launchers out, she fired two sets of missiles and they flew straight to his legs, just to bring him down a size. The two exploded, but left little damage as she fired two more. Still no effect Masterson starred her down and couldn't help but to laugh.

Henry Masterson: "You're kidding, right? You think those fireworks can stop me? Why don't you try these on for size?!"

He then opened his compartments and fired more missiles at her. The Wrecking Cadet though stood her ground as she came up with an upper hand.

Miko/Kaosu: "Gladly…"

Getting her sonic pulse blasters up, she turned to volume up high and began launching a stronger wave of sound at them. The blast wave caught the missiles and immediately pushed them back, right to the Blackout's body. Masterson could see that and didn't expect that to happen.

Henry Masterson: "Oh boy…"

All the missiles connected and exploded in many places, as well as the head that was meant to be the main target. The body stumbled a little bit before falling straight to the floor with a loud thud and shook the foundation a little bit. Seeing him down for the count, Miko fist pumped into the air and was overly excited.

Miko/Kaosu: "Yes! Score one for the good guys!"

Just as she was celebrating, Masterson used Blackout's body to get up in a sitting position and the Headmaster Unit looked right at her with the intent to kill. Miko saw this and soon realized that her celebration was cut short.

Miko/Kaosu: "Scrap…"

Masterson looked to her through the monitors and wasn't pleased with it.

Henry Masterson: "Oh, you're quite clever. Aren't you, you little bitch? Well, let's see if you could stop this!"

He quickly pushed a button on his console as Blackout's arm moved to her position and the propeller blades started to spin. The Wrecking Cadet backed away and didn't know what to do after that. Almost immediately, the blades fired on her and it was heading straight to her position. She didn't have time to get her weapons up and covered herself, praying to survive this. Suddenly, a green SUV came driving by and rammed her out of the way while avoiding the blades as well. Once they were in the clear, the SUV turned into Bulkhead as he checked on his friend.

Bulkhead: "Kaosu, you all right?"

She turned to Bulk a little confused, but glad that she was out of it for the moment.

Miko/Kaosu: "I am now. Thanks for saving me."

Bulk smiled and was pleased to help her out.

Bulkhead: "What are friends for?"

The two had their moment together until it was interrupted by Headmaster himself.

Henry Masterson: "Aw… Isn't that sweet…"

The two turned to the side and saw the Headmaster Unit turning to them with the propeller blades reconnected to the arm of Blackout.

Henry Masterson: "I despise sweet…"

He turned his arm to the two and was about to fire again. What he didn't know is that someone was behind him and jumped off the warehouse building to make a quick strike. That bot was none other then Wheeljack as he got his katanas out and went to the back, penetrating the neckline of the Headmaster Unit. Henry felt that as sirens and alarms were blaring, warning of a breach.

Henry Masterson: "What the crud!?"

Looking to the monitoring system, he discovered the Wrecker penetrating to the swords to the back of the Unit's neck. Seeing him trying to take his head off, Masterson was starting to get annoyed.

Henry Masterson: "So, these bastards had the jump on me. We'll see about that!"

He quickly pushed the same button he used on the Arcee and waited for the lightshow to begin. Meanwhile, Jackie kept pushing his swords deeper as sparks started to seep out of the cut. He was about to get to the source of the control to shut the Headmaster unit down until he was electrocuted by thousands of volts. He screamed in pain before getting launched off the Headmaster Unit and colliding to the building. Bulk and Kaosu saw him colliding to the wall and soon realized that he was in trouble.

Bulkhead: "Jackie!"

The green Wrecker transformed back and drove to his aid followed by Kaosu. The two drove to his end and transformed back when they got to his side.

Bulkhead: "Jackie, you okay?"

Wheeljack groaned until he looked to Bulk with a bit of a smirk.

Wheeljack: "Hey, been through worse. All that electrical shock is just a little wake up call."

Just as they thought that he's in the clear, a huge shadow got up and loomed over the group. Turning to that shadow, they soon knew it of the Headmaster Unit in Blackout's body holding the two katanas in his servo.

Henry Masterson: "That was a dirty move you pulled on me."

He then tossed the swords to the group and discarded them like a bunch of toys.

Henry Masterson: "Lucky for you, I can fight dirty too."

Lifting his arm up, he activated his Gatling gun and was prepared to tear the Wreckers apart. But suddenly, a couple of stray blaster shots hit that arm to get his attention. That worked as he turned to see who was shooting at him. What he saw was Smokescreen with his blaster armed and looked determined to take him down.

Smokescreen: "You want me to test that theory of yours?"

Masterson looked to him and was curious of what he was planning to do. But he brushed it off as a fool's errand and decided to put an end to the Elite Guard's cockiness.

Henry Masterson: "Oh, but I do. I fact, let me show you how dirty I can be!"

Quickly, he turned his arm to Smokescreen as the drum of the gun started to roll. The Elite Guard member saw him do that and had everything under control. Transforming, he sped straight to the target as Masterson fired his gun. The armor piercing bullets did hit him, but didn't destroy him. Instead they phased through him like it was nothing and he was in one piece. What he did is use his Phase Shifter to let the bullets get past him without getting hurt at all. Charging in, he was close enough to perform his next move. Transforming, he jumped with his legs high enough to get to the arm while the Gatling gun continued to fire, either missing him or phasing in his body. Once he was in good enough range, he sticked his arm out and letting go through Blackout's own, trying to get to something. He then felt something and made a grab for it, pulling his arm out and somersaulting in the air before landing on the other side. He looked back to this accomplishment while Masterson turned to him and tried to fire again. But as he was about to shoot, the gun didn't move and it jammed up completely. Looking to the gun, he was confused and wondered what just happened. Looking back to the Autobot, he would see him holding the mechanism that operates and Gatling gun and waved it at him.

Smokescreen: "Opps… Did you miss something?"

With one quick tight, he crushed the mechanism and let it drop to the floor. Masterson watched it all go down and was a bit upset.

Henry Masterson: "Don't know what cheat code you use, but you're about to be owned!"

Getting his other arm out, he used his other Gatling gun to dispose of this nuisance. Smoke transformed again and did a wide turn to get back to the Blackout body Masterson was controlling. Once again, he used the same strategy as before as the Phase Shifter prevented and of the bullets to destroy him. Once he got to his position, he changed back and jump up to his other arm, letting his own to phase through the gun and grabbed the other mechanism. He did it successfully and thought he had everything under control. But the only mistake he made was to turn his Phase Shifter off while in the air. That gave Masterson the chance to use the huge metal hand and slapped the Autobot before he could hit the ground. Smokescreen felt that hit and fell face first to the ground and was at a daze. Masterson though approached the prone Elite Guard and had it with his antics.

Henry Masterson: "You might have taken out my guns, but you forgot one thing. I have more tricks up my sleeve!"

Getting his arm up, he activated his missiles on that arm and was ready to take him down. Just as he was about to blow him up, a stray blaster hit the missile and exploded on contact, temporarily destroying the arm. The Headmaster unit saw this and was confused by what happened. Turning to the left, he could see a blue and pink motorcycle racing to his position. That was in fact Arcee as she was speeding to him to pull the same move as Smokescreen. Masterson watch her heading to him and was confused.

Henry Masterson: "Are you trying to get yourself killed like your friend? You really are that dimwitted!"

He went back to his targeting system and used his other arm to fire more missiles right at her. The femme, giving her sleek design, used her driving ability to steer clear from the missiles as they exploded in places she use to be. She was getting close to him as one of the missiles fired right in front of her and exploded. It created a huge ball of fire and smoke, but Arcee came out of the smoke in her bipedal mode and was in the air. The missiles though headed straight to her and were going to blow her up in the sky. But her quick agility let her land on the first missile with her pede, then jumped off to land on the second missile with her other pede. Soon enough, she was jumping off one rocket after the next while getting closer to the Headmaster Unit. As soon as she got off of the last missile, she was upside down and deployed the blaster to fire on his other arm. After a couple of attempted shots, she was able to blow up the missile that was exposed and it damaged the other arm. She went to the other side with a quick flip and landed on the ground with one knee. Turning back, she could see Blackout's body getting heavily damaged and believed that the team was winning. But Masterson doesn't want to give up just yet. Turning to the femme, he decided to put an end to all of this.

Henry Masterson: "That's it! Playtime is officially over!"

He opened up the remaining compartments on his body and multiple missiles came out of just about everywhere. The two-wheeler saw this and warned everyone about it.

Arcee: "Fallback! Everyone get away from the bombardment!"

The entire team saw the incoming missiles and transformed to get away in their vehicle forms. Soon enough, the missiles kept on hitting everywhere but not the team, destroying anything they hit. Arcee was driving away from the aerial attack as the missiles fall just about everywhere. So far, she managed to avoid all the missiles and was in the clear. Unfortunately, one of the missiles his a tanker truck that was loaded with flammable liquid and created a huge explosion and nearly thrashed the facility's street. That said explosion pushed the two-wheeler by force and she was flying in the air before tumbling to the ground. She transformed during the tumble and thrashed about violently before skidding to a stop. She groaned a little bit and was getting up slowly. But then, a huge pede pinned him to her to the ground. The pede belonged to Blackout's body as the Headmaster Unit looked to her and decided end it all.

Henry Masterson: "Don't think I would forget about you, my pretty little girl. Last time we fought, I slammed you precious body into that building back at Sumdac Systems. Since that nosey Mech not around, perhaps I should finish the job. As a certain queen says…"

He then deployed his chopper blades on his arm and finished with a dark tone.

Henry Masterson: "Off with your head."

The blades started to spin as Masterson controlled Blackout's arm to lower to Arcee's neckline. The femme looked on and could tell that she was in complete danger. And with the others away, it will be too late for them to get back to her. Closing her optics tightly, she was ready to enter the Well of the All Spark and reunite with her former partners. The only thing she regretted is to apologize to Jack for her behavior and make amends. Now she will never get the chance as she muttered her final words.

Arcee: "Jack… Rodimus… I'm sorry…"

The blades just got close to her neckline as Masterson was about to remove the two-wheeler's head from her body. But before he could really end it all, a green and blue portal opened up in front of him and he looked up confused by what was happening. Suddenly, a black and gray Hummer H2 came out of that portal and flew directly to the Headmaster Unit, knocking it and the body down for a brief moment. The Hummer then landed on the ground tires first and skidded to a stop, turning 180 to the femme. Arcee opened her optics and wondered why the blades didn't touch her protoform skin. Looking up, she could see the Hummer looking to her before transforming and shifting into a well built youngling. Seeing him, he soon realized who it was.

Arcee: "Rodimus?"

Indeed, it was Rodimus as he looked to the two-wheeler and smiled.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Hey Arcee, I take it everything is under control while I was away."

Cee was still confused as she got up and wondered why he was there.

Arcee: "What are you doing here? I thought you're not going to aid us until Optimus completed your training."

Jack simply smirked and told her that he was able to get out of it.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "And you're right. But I was able to talk him out of it."

* * *

Back at the base, Ratchet closed down the bridge as the groundbridge shut down as soon as Rodimus left.

Ratchet: "Transfer is completed."

He then turned to Optimus, who watched Rodimus leave, and was a little concerned about this decision he made.

Ratchet: "Are you sure it was the right thing to do? Sending him in when he just got started in training?"

Optimus looked on to the empty groundbridge with worried optics and was a little hesitant in sending him there. However, a part of him told him that it was the right thing to do.

Optimus Prime: "You are right to be weary of my decision in sending Jack into battle. But giving how grave the situation is with the team, they need all the help necessary in succeeding in this mission. After all, what he said to me about distancing myself to the one I love, he made some strong points. Keeping him away from battle would lead to the risk of the team. I have to make the decision for the future of Team Prime."

Ratchet: "Even if that means helping out the one you love?"

There was a bit of silence as the leader thought that through and through. Truly, it was the wrong thing to do to send him back into battle, knowing Arcee is there. But with no other options left, it has to be done, even if he has his own demons back on Cybertron.

Optimus Prime: "I understand that it was a risk bringing him back to battle with Arcee there. But he reminded me of what I've done with Elita. He showed me that I cannot distance myself from those I was close to, like I was the one that was distancing Jack from Arcee. I now understand what he's going through and will make my decision on what must be done for his training. I just hope that he will survive this lesson I have given him."

* * *

Back at POSGO, Arcee and Jack looked at each other, with the young mech glad that he saved her and the femme still surprised to see him. Just as they were having that moment, something was getting up behind Rodimus and it looked angry.

Henry Masterson: "Well, well, well… Look who decided to show his face!"

Jack heard that from behind and turned around to see the Headmaster Unit with Blackout's body getting up.

Henry Masterson: "If it isn't the punk that took my head off at Sumdac Systems and cost me everything! Back for more?"

Rodimus look to him and knew who was controlling that body.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Masterson… I didn't think you would get out of jail. Let alone join MECH. Nice body type, by the way. Don't tell me Bodies R Us ran out of newer models and you had to get a used one."

Henry didn't like that remark and decided to finish what he started.

Henry Masterson: "You dare mock a genius like me? You will pay for that! And as far as this new body is concerned, it is more powerful then the last one you took out. Here, let me show you!"

He then opened his compartments again and fired his missiles once more. Jack could see the missiles heading straight toward him and turned back to see Arcee still recovering from the last attack and the shock of his arrival. Knowing she's still endanger, he transformed and sped back to her. The missiles went after him as he was driving to her and exploded on the ground around him. Once he got to her position, he did a quick turn and shoved Cee and himself into a nearby street away from the explosions. Once they were in the clear, he transformed and made a stop next to Arcee. Sighing in relief, he turned to her and asked about the enemy.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "So, he got Blackout's body?"

Arcee just nodded for an answer. Jack sighed and knew this wasn't going to be easy.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "All right… You stay here. I'll handle him."

He then got up and was about to leave. But just as he was about to make his leave, Arcee grabbed hold of his arm and asked if that's okay.

Arcee: "You sure you want to do this? Last time you face him, you nearly flipped your lid and went into your Prime state after you saw me get hurt. If this happens to you again…"

The new Prime lifted his hand up and told her that he'll be fine.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Don't worry; as long as you're safe here, there won't be any problems. And besides, I won't be using my ability. I promise you that."

He then walked back out of the open when the explosions were over with. Once he turned to the Headmaster Unit, he stood there with a bit of bravery in his spark. Masterson though saw him looking on and wasn't in the mood for it.

Henry Masterson: "You think that cocky attitude is going to stop me? Hate to say it, but my body is bigger then yours!"

Jack just smirked and retorted back to him.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Really? Cause the last time I check, that body belonged to Blackout. And, in case you didn't hear it, he was taken down by me."

That did it as Henry decided to fight him off.

Henry Masterson: "Is that so? Well there's a difference between me and him. And you know what that is? I am much smarter then him!"

Masterson used Blackout's body to do a fighting stance that is similar to a Mortal Kombat character, Scorpion. Jack looked on and knew that he was getting cocky. Getting into a stance of his own, he deployed both his energy shield and Star Saber sword for battle. However, his sword or his optics didn't glow because he's getting the hang of controlling his Prime ability. Looking to the Headmaster Unit with determination he decided to begin the fight.

Jack/Rodimus: "Bring it on!"

He then closed off his mouth guard and visor and was ready for battle. Masterson decided to start the attack as he charged in and tightened his fist to deliver the first blow. Jack saw this and noticed that he's holding his arm back to strike. Seeing the opening, he got his knees in position and was ready to avoid this attack. The moment Masterson got close to him, he drove his fist down with enough force to flatten the new Prime. Jack took opportunity as he sidestepped and pivoted around to avoid that strike while Masterson got nothing but concrete. Spinning in a 180 degree angle, he brought his sword up and struck Blackout's back, letting it spark and ooze a little bit of energon. Henry noticed the damage to his back and was shocked that he avoided it completely easily. Feeling angry, he turned Blackout's body around and started to deliver a clothesline to his head. Jack quickly ducked down and avoided that clothesline, rolling on the floor before getting back up very quickly. Finding an opening of his own, he did a quick spin and delivered a spinning roundhouse kick to the leg. That kick had enough force to actually damage the hydraulics on the leg. The Headmaster Unit on Blackout's body was down as he was in his knees for a few short seconds. Enough time for Jack to get his sword high in the air and was ready to behead him in an old school execution form. But just as he was about to strike the sword down, Masterson reacted by lifted Blackout's arm up and grabbed the sharp blade with one servo. Rodimus was shocked by this and didn't have the time to register Henry's next move. In that move, he used his other servo to tighten and punched the future Prime in the face, sending him back to the end of the warehouse street. Jack quickly recovered in the air and landed on his pedes while skidding back with sparks coming out of it. Once he made a full stop, he looked up to the Headmaster Unit and was seething. Masterson though was starting to gain ground and thought of ending it all in an instant. Lifting his arm up, he got his blades spinning and launched it right at the Autobot. Jack could see the blade heading to him and knew he's making the same mistake Blackout did. Waiting for the right moment, he got his shield up and charged it strong enough to prevent the force of the blast. That said blade hit the shield and bounced back, returning to the thrower with fast speeds. Jack looked on and hope this plan of his works. But as he watched on, he saw in horror Masterson grabbing the propeller blade with one servo and stopped its momentum. Masterson simply laughed it off and thought that it was pathetic while placing the blades back to his arm.

Henry Masterson: "Did you really think that little trick would stop me? I've seen the video of the fight you had with Blackout before I put my Headmaster Unit on and saw how to take it down. Just sheer luck on your end. Well your luck has just run out pal. You won't be able to beat me."

Jack looked on in complete surprise and soon found out that this wasn't going to be easy as it is.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "All right then… Looks like I have to do it the hard way.

He quickly transformed into his Hummer and put the pedal to the metal, speeding right to the body of Blackout's. Masterson saw this coming and fired all of his missiles right at the future Prime. Rodimus soon went to maximum overdrive when he saw those missiles and avoided each of them with incredibly fast speeds. The moment he got to him, he just the front of his bumper to ram him on the legs, hoping it will take him down with ease. But Henry got the chance to get him and used two huge servos to prevent the Autobot from taking him down again. He then lifted the Hummer up in the air and bench press it a couple of times.

Henry Masterson: "Oh man! Look how strong I am! How are you going to stop me now, kiddo?"

Jack, who was still in his vehicle mode, took another opening and decided to strike back saying…

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Like this!"

Quickly, he transformed while he was bench pressed and fired his blaster right at the Headmaster Unit. Masterson could see the alarms blaring and knew that was a bad idea. On quick reflex, he threw Rodimus away as the Autobot landed on his feet. He soon quickly got his sword and shield up again and charged in for another fight. Soon enough, the two duck it out as Rodimus went offensive while Masterson went defensive. Out at the corner of the ally Arcee watched on and was amazed by the how her sparkmate is handling himself. He's been fighting non stop, yet he isn't using his new ability to aid him. It's almost like he wants to prove that he wants to accomplish battle without the ability in his disposal. As she looked on, she heard engines coming close by. At first, she thought more MECHicons were coming and armed her blaster right behind her. But when she looked behind her, she could see the rest of the team in their vehicle modes heading to her position. She sighed in relief as she retracted her blaster while the others transformed and regrouped with her.

Bulkhead: "Arcee, there you are! We didn't hear form you since we got separated. What happened out there?"

The femme turned to the Wrecker and realized that they didn't know what happened after they got separated. Knowing this, she told them what really happened.

Arcee: "I'm fine… It's just that I got caught in Masterson's last attack and he almost took by head. Of course that's when Rodimus came to my aid and-"

Before she could actually finish, Smokescreen stopped her and was confused of what she said.

Smokescreen: "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back up for a nano sec. Rodimus is here?! I thought he had to remain in the base for Optimus's training."

The two-wheeler shook her head and told him that isn't the case.

Arcee: "Well, not anymore. Somehow, he must've convinced Prime to helping us and is doing all he can to put a stop to MECH's newest employee. If you don't believe me, see for yourself."

The others looked to her strangely and was still confused by what she said. Still, they were curious about what she said and peeked out of the corner to see what she saw. When they took a quick check, they were shocked to see Jack there taking on the Headmaster Unit all by himself. With his sword and shield, he was making a lot of attempted slashes to cut the enemy down to size. Masterson though used his arms to block off each attack as the armor on them was strong enough to keep those appendages from falling off. Knowing that he has to get this Autobot off his back, he tightened his fists and use his arm strength push the new Prime off of him. Rodimus was pushed back with his pedes skidding and sparks flying. When he made a stop, he looked up to see what Masterson's next move is. That's when he saw him firing a few more missiles on his back just to blow him to bits. Seeing this, the Autobot switched to his blasters and used the auto targeting on his visor's hub to take each one out in the sky. Once all the missiles were out, Masterson got a little upset and charged in once again. Tightening his fists, he started to attack the swing his arms left and right to knock the young mech out. Rodimus retracted his blasters and started to go to hand to hand combat to make the fight fair. He ducked down to avoid each swing and used the openings to deliver a couple of hard punches and round house kicks to the stomach and sides. As the fight went on, Kaosu and the others watched the battle and was shocked to see him out in the field.

Miko/Kaosu: "Woah! Arcee is right! Jack did came back! Look at him beating up that dork of a scientist!"

Wheeljack saw him fight as well and noticed something was completely off.

Wheeljack: "Sure he's fighting, but he's not using his ability to take him out in one hit. What's the big deal?"

It's then Arcee stepped in and told him of the situation.

Arcee: "My guess, he's holding back on his Prime state. He wants to prove that he can beat him without activating his ability."

The others turned to her and was shocked to hear that from her. Jackie though looked back and didn't like the odds.

Wheeljack: "Yeah? Well we're going to need that ability now, cause it looks like our new Prime isn't doing so hot."

The others soon looked on at the fight and could tell that he's holding back too much. Back to the main fight, Jack was holding his own with Headmaster, using everything in his arsenal. With his close combat fighting, he was at an even stalemate with the Unit as Blackout's armor was tough to crack. Jumping away from the last swing, he started to pant and thought maybe it was time to finish him off.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "So… Are you ready to give up yet?"

Masterson heard that through his cockpit speakers and felt insulted.

Henry Masterson: "Me? Surrender? I'm barely breaking a sweat! You, on the other hand, don't look so hot. What's the matter? Afraid of going berserk and trash another factory?"

Jack was seething as his optics was showing off a white tinge. Soon realizing what's going to happen, he immediately calmed down and kept his ability under control. The last thing he wanted is for his Prime state to loose itself and trash more buildings. Once he relaxed, he decided to threaten the young scientist.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Just keep talking Masterson… Sooner or later, you will slip up and I will be there when that happens."

Henry simply laughed it up and told him that it's not going to happen.

Henry Masterson: "Sorry bud, but this body never tires. As long as I'm operating this Headmaster Unit, I am unbeatable! Here, let me put you out of your misery!"

Lifting his arm up, he activated his propeller blades and fired it right at the new Prime. Rodimus saw it in a heartbeat and decided to avoid it giving its trajectory. With quick timing, he jumped high in the air as the blade was completely under him in slow motion. Once the blade passed by, time returned to normal as he landed back down on the ground. Of course, by landing, gave the Headmaster an opening as he winded back and punched the new Prime in the face, knocking him down quite easily. Jack tumbled a little bit and didn't expect that at all. As he was bound to bounce back, he could hear the whirling blades from behind and looked back to see the propeller heading back to him. Seeing this, he laid his body down and let the blades pass him by mere inches. As they left him, he was about to get up, only for Masterson to grab him by the head and lifted him up with one arm, ready to squeeze his head tightly until it would be crushed like a soda can. With quick thinking, Jack armed up one of his blasters and fired randomly at anything to free himself. Luckily, the last couple of shots got to Blackout's arm as Masterson saw the damage in the cockpit. With no other way, he let go of Jack as he landed back on the ground and shook the cobwebs out of his head. Getting back to the fight, he got his sword and shield up and bound to strike again. But when he was ready, he saw the propeller blade heading right to him again. With his shield up, he deflected to the blades on contact and they bounce back, only to have them bang on the walls of the two warehousing buildings. As it was bouncing back and forth, both Masterson and Rodimus kept on squaring off as the young scientist used Blackout's body to take out the new Prime. Rodimus used his shield to block his attacks and used his sword to make some serious strikes. Masterson piloted Blackout's body with ease as the Autobot was struggling to make some serious hits. But he was so focused that he didn't notice the propeller blades reaching him until it was too late. The blade soon got close to him and made a quick cut right to the right leg, deep enough to let the energon seep out. He felt that pain and cringed as he got down on one knee. Seeing him down, Henry took that shot and delivered a straight uppercut to the gut, making the pain worse for Jack. Then to add insult to injury, he wind back and punch him right at the face, making it a KO. Rodimus was down and out as Masterson felt successful at what he done while the propeller blade was brought back to his arm. The others soon watch as the Headmaster Unit on Blackout's body started to approach the down Prime while letting the blades spin. Miko had a look of disdain as she didn't like how this will end.

Miko/Kaosu: "Not good… Rodimus is down and out!"

The others saw this too and knew what this meant.

Smokescreen: "The new Prime is in danger! We have to get down there and provide backup for him!"

Arcee watched on too and understood what Jack is facing. With him not using his Prime mode, it will be a matter of time before he gets killed. And with that in mind, she cannot let her sparkmate get hurt. With a look of determination, she decided to intervene on the battle.

Arcee: "Then let's do it… Autobots, follow my lead!"

To it, she immediately transformed and speed right into the action with the others soon following her. As they were reaching his position, Rodimus groaned and was struggling to get up. Just as he was about to make a stand, Masterson placed Blackout's foot on his back and pressed him hard on the ground, preventing him from escaping. As he got him where he wants him, he looked to his blades still spinning and was ready to finish it all off.

Henry Masterson: "You know, I was planning to use this to cut that femme's head when she caught me by surprise back in Detroit. But since you were the one that cut my head off in the first place, might as well use this on you. After all, payback is a bitch!"

Immediately, he lowered his blades to Jack's neckline and was about to finish him off once and for all. Just as he was about to behead him, he soon heard the sound of a motorcycle engine in front of him. Looking up, he could see the blue and pink bike speeding straight towards him without a driver. Before he could register what was about to happen, the bike popped a wheelie and jumped up right at the Headmaster Unit. Doing a quick flip, the bike transformed into Arcee and used her pede to kick him hard on the face. Once she pushed off, she flipped backwards and used her blasters to continuously fire on the posing threat. The Headmaster Unit staggered back and nearly lost its balance. Cee landed in a kneeling stance behind Rodimus and continued firing on the enemy. At the same time, the other Autobots drove around them and began their own attack. First came the Wreckers as Kaosu got in back of the two-wheeler and transformed, using both her sonic blasters to push him away while shooting her missiles right at the chest. With the chest weakened, Bulkhead went ahead and transformed, jumping in the air and arming his wrecking ball to punch right to the weakening chest, pushing him further. Landing on the ground, he turned to Wheeljack speeding to him and offered a lift. Jackie transformed and ran to him, letting one of his pedes step on the servo as his friend lifted him up high into the air. Getting two of his katanas out, he rocketed down and pierce the swords on the shoulders of Blackout. Jumping off his shoulders, he landed on the ground as Bee and Smoke sped passed him. Once they transformed to run, they jumped at the same time and used their speeding kicks to deliver the final blow. Once they kicked him, they flipped and landed, turning to see Firewall heading towards them. Offering him a lift, he transformed and ran to their servos, pushing him up to the air as well. The moment he was in the air, he armed his tazer blasters and charged them to full power, firing highly electrical projectiles right at Blackout's body. The projectiles hit as the body and head got short circuited for a few short seconds before collapsing on the floor and went out like a light. Once they accomplished taking out Masterson and his Headmaster Unit, they all approached the down Autobot and checked to see if he's fine.

Arcee: "Jack? Jack, are you okay?"

All she got was a bit of a groan as he turned over and slowly got up. Rubbing his helm, he was a little woozy and tried to regain his thought processors.

Jack/Rodimus: "I'm fine… I think… Slag, Masterson knows how to throw a punch. What happened?"

He looked to the team and wondered what he missed. Wheeljack approached him and explained to him what transpired.

Wheeljack: "What you missed? You nearly got your head decapitated, that's what you missed! You're lucky we came and saved your aft, otherwise you rise as a Prime would've been cut short."

Jack heard that and was surprised that he almost got defeated very easily. Arcee then got up and offered him a hand as he took the servo and lifted himself up. As he did that, he could feel his knee in a little bit of pain and clenched it tightly.

Jack/Rodimus: "Ah! Forgot about that leg! Masterson's blades really got it good."

Arcee looked back at the leg and could tell that it was nothing.

Arcee: "You're just bleeding a little energon. That laceration isn't as deep as you think, but it does hurt like the Pits. You'll be all right. Still, we need to have you mom and Ratchet check on it when we get back."

Jack turned to his sparkmate and smiled to her.

Jack/Rodimus: "Thanks…"

Arcee simply shrugged it off and responded back.

Arcee: "Hey, you saved my life moments ago. Might as well return the favor. Thanks for saving me by the way."

Rodimus had a warm smile and could tell that they have already made their amends. But then, Jackie came up to him and interrupted the moment.

Wheeljack: "Yeah… And the next time you want to fight, be sure to have that Prime ability on. It's bad enough that we have to take care of that thing by ourselves. It's far worse to have you fight him without Prime state of yours."

The two turned to each other and could tell that the moment was ruined. Jack though didn't mind as he told him that it was all right.

Jack/Rodimus: "Hey, I was trying to beat him without it. Unless you want me to destroy another facility."

The Wrecker listened to that and realized that he had a point

Wheeljack: "All right, you made a compelling case."

Arcee though decided to focus on the other task and told the others to keep moving.

Arcee: "Well, at least we got Masterson down. Now we can finally focus on stopping MECH from stealing whatever they're taking. C'mon team, let's get going!"

Before anyone could put an end to MECH's plan, they could hear a voice of Masterson.

Henry Masterson: "Boy, aren't you all very smart…"

They all soon turned their heads to the direction of where Blackout's body was laid. By the time they turned their heads, they could see, the body slowly rising up and was getting up on their own accord. Once he was fully up, he pried the two swords out of his shoulders and tossed them to the ground, letting the sharp ends penetrated the concrete floor. Looking to them, he was more pissed then he originally was.

Henry Masterson: "Trying to take me down all together before I could end that kid? That takes real guts. Well I hate to say it to all of you, but it's going to take more then a bunch of heavy hits and a quick shock to take me down. Thankfully my Headmaster Unit has auxiliary power, otherwise I would've been in more trouble then I'm already am. As for you, it's game over!"

With one quick flex, he opened up all the compartments of his body and fired multiples missiles right at them. Rodimus, though weakened, managed to get in front of the team and deployed his energy shield, charging it enough to create a huge energy dome to protect his friends and himself. The missiles soon hit on and around the dome until there's nothing but smoke. Just as the smoke was cleared, Masterson could see the group still standing as Jack still had his shield on.

Henry Masterson: "Or a real smarty bot, are you? Very well, get a taste of this!"

Lifting Blackout's arm, he fired his propeller blades as it headed straight to the team. The blades hit the dome and remained there for some time, spinning with sheer force and causing the dome to crack under pressure. After a few short seconds, the shield broke and the propeller bounced back, returning to Masterson's and latching back on Blackout's arm. Rodimus got down on one knee and was taking a quick breather through the ventilation system. The others soon came to his aid and their weapons armed, waiting for Masterson to make the next home.

Arcee: "It's no use! No matter what we use, Masterson is always one step ahead!"

Bulkhead: "Tell me about it. With him in possession of Blackout's body, there's no telling what other surprises he has in store for us."

The Prime in training looked on and realized that they have a point. The Masterson controlling Blackout's lifeless carcass, it would be impossible to stop him. Hell, he's surprised that the young scientist hadn't… That's when it hit him. Looking at the head attached to his body and Optimus's training, he knew what to do and got up, walking with a bit of a limp. Arcee saw him approaching the enemy and asked what he is doing.

Arcee: "Rodimus, where are you going?"

But he didn't listen as he was close enough to Headmaster and started to talk.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "I got to admit, you are pretty good fighting with that new body of yours, better then the last one."

The team looked on with mouths agape as they didn't think he would compliment to the enemy. Masterson was too shocked by it and decided to play a little sheepishly.

Henry Masterson: "Well, I do have experience with my creation, giving how to control this new body of mine takes a lot of work, but the controls are familiar to me."

Jack knew he had him where he wants him and put his plan into motion.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Yeah, you seem to be getting the hang of Blackout's weaponry. But can you transform? I mean, since you now possess of body of a knockoff Cybertronian, you do know how to change into vehicle mode. Do you?"

The team heard that and couldn't believe what he just said.

Smokescreen: "Did our future Prime told our enemy to transform? Is he trying to kill us?!"

Miko was in agreement too as she approached him and asked what's he thinking.

Miko/Kaosu: "Rodimus, what's the big deal? We're here to put a stop to MECH, not give the last person we want tips in destroying us quicker!"

Masterson through rubbed his chin in the cockpit of his unit and felt a little intrigued.

Henry Masterson: "Hmm…. You know what, I haven't thought of that before. I mean its cool using weapons from this body, but transforming? That will be so awesome! Thanks for the advice, looser! I'll be sure to kill you first once you suffered my new might!"

To that, he pushed a few buttons to start transforming as the gears started to turn. Rodimus watched as Blackout's body begins to change with the Headmaster Unit on it. Soon enough, the others approached the new Prime and was a little irate, Wheeljack especially.

Wheeljack: "Nice going kiddo, you have officially made our situation far worse then it is."

Rodimus though lifted his hand up and told him that he had it under control.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Wait for it…"

The group watched on as Blackout's body kept changing with the back of the propeller unfolding and the armor plating shifting into a helicopter. But during the change, something unexpected happened. As it was mid way through the transformation, parts of the armor surround the Headmaster Unit and it was stuck, squeezing it very tightly. In the cockpit, Masterson could feel the walls closing in and realized his mistake.

Henry Masterson: "Okay… So the body I got was meant for someone with a smaller head…."

The Headmaster Unit couldn't take the pressure anymore as it immediately detached and plummeted down to the floor while the half transformed body of Blackout went out of control and fell through the roof of one of the warehouses, destroying it completely.

Henry Masterson: "Oh crud!"

The Headmaster Unit landed on the ground and tumbled a couple of times until stopping on the back of his head on the floor and surrounded by the Autobots. The team looked on and couldn't believe what just transpired.

Bumblebee: _**(Whoa… What just happened?)**_

Jack simply chuckled it up and told the scout what transpired.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "He got cocky, that's what happened. When I told him that he would transform, he didn't know that his Headmaster Unit was too big for that body to change. This led to a rejection of the head to body and disabling any access to his weaponry."

Everyone looked to the prone head and realized that he has a really good point. With the Headmaster Unit too big for the body, it won't be able to transform in vehicle mode. Arcee looked to this too and couldn't believe that Jack had outsmarted the young genius, and he didn't really need to use his Prime state to accomplish it.

Arcee: "Great thinking, Rodimus. You've certainly taught this glitch and good lesson."

Jack simply shrugged that off and told her that it was nothing.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Don't thank me, thank Optimus. His lessons in studying a Cons weakness and exploiting it has really paid off."

Cee simply smiled to him and was glad he came up with a really good idea like that. She then looked down to the Headmaster Unit and pointed the blaster right at its face, hoping Masterson is somewhere in there.

Arcee: "You better start talking, genius. What's MECH planning with all the steel? You better answer quickly, because I'm not asking again!"

She then warmed up her blaster and was ready to fire right through that unit. Masterson looked on in worry and didn't know what to do now that he no longer has Blackout's body. Just as he thought that he was a goner.

Commander Rourke: _"Headmaster, this is Commander Rourke. Come in! What's your status?"_

Henry could hear his voice within the console and responded as much as he could without Team Prime knowing.

Henry Masterson: "Uh… To be really honest, I'm in a whole heap of trouble right now."

* * *

Returning to the warehouse, the commander heard that and told him the good news. He turned to see the MECHicons moving the last of the Tungsten to the choppers and was pleased with it.

Commander Rourke: "Well I'm calling to let you know that your distraction has given us the time in getting all the Tungsten needed for the Director's latest project."

* * *

To Masterson…

Commander Rourke: _"We're leaving right now! Do you require a pick up?"_

The young scientist look to the screen to see the Autobots surrounding him and explained to him the problem.

Henry Masterson: "Yeah… About that… I sort of got myself in a bit of a pinch here."

The commander heard that and told him to handle it.

Commander Rourke: _"Well, you're the scientist, Headmaster. Use you head very literally. I'm going to have the escort pick you up in thirty seconds. Be sure you have that window open before that."_

Masterson nodded and had one more trick up his sleeve.

Henry Masterson: "Understood. Just make sure my escort is here when I pull this off."

As soon as he said that, he could hear Arcee's voice through the speakers.

Arcee: "Hey! Are you hearing me? What's MECH want with that steel? Answer me!"

Henry though didn't feel like speaking and decided to make his leave.

Henry Masterson: "Sorry babe, but I'm not in a mood to talk. That's why every Headmaster Unit comes with its own backup system."

He started to type a couple of key sequences until the Unit started to shift and change into a miniature size but with a red and black exo-suit, a small head that resembles the bigger head, and an H insignia on its chest. The team saw this with surprise as it jumped up and stood his ground. Miko simply saw that and didn't know what to think.

Miko/Kaosu: "Okay… I did not see that coming."

Henry Masterson: "Well, it's been a blast, but I got places to go. So until next time, later noobs!"

Opening up his metal hands, they soon fired and flash blast that illuminated the area in a bright white light, blinding everyone.

Smokescreen: "Whoa! What happened?!"

Raf/Firewall: "I can't see!"

Wheeljack: "Where did that weasel go?"

Arcee: "Hold your ground Autobots!"

As they were trying to figure out, they could were engines revving as they pass by very quickly. As soon as the light faded away, the team regained their sights as they noticed Masterson and the Headmaster Unit were long gone.

Bumblebee: _**(What the- He disappeared!)**_

Rodimus looked around in his hub and detected a bunch of red beeps ground away. Turning to that direction, he spotted what look like MECHicons in vehicle mode speeding away, with the Headmaster Unit in its mini bot mode waving to them. Looking on, he knew what just happened.

Jack/Rodimus: "No, he hitched a ride…"

Just as the team thought they would follow them, they could hear choppers coming from the distance. Turning behind them, they could see three green choppers flying up from a nearby warehouse and flying high in the sky. But what they saw the most is that they were carrying tons of steel at their bottoms. Seeing this, they knew what was going on.

Arcee: "Scrap! MECH is getting away! After them!"

Quickly, the group started to transform into their vehicle forms and sped away.

* * *

Meanwhile, Commander Rourke was at the side seat of the chopper as a pilot was by his side. As they were flying, the pilot noticed something on the radar.

Pilot 2: "Commander, you need to see this."

Rourke turned to him and was curious of what he wanted, looking down to the radar, he spotted multiple beeps going after them and could tell that they are the Autobots pursuing them on the screen showing the rear end of the chopper. But with them on the ground, it was a fruitless endeavor.

Commander Rourke: "Fools… They think they can stop us."

* * *

Back on the ground, the group kept speeding, but it was nothing they could do to get to them. Making an immediate stop, they transformed and look up to see they just about leaving.

Arcee: "This is hopeless! We can't go after them when they're in the air. Take them down!"

Arming their long range weapons, they started to fire everything at the choppers, only leaving nothing but blanks. That was until Miko fired two of her missiles to the aid one of them hit the bottom of one of the choppers. Though it wasn't destroyed, one of the metal beams got loose and plummeted to the ground, close to the team. As soon as the choppers made their exit and disappeared, the team approached one of the steel girders and managed to make some progress.

Bulkhead: "Looks like MECH got what they wanted."

Arcee bended down to get a closer look at the steel girder that left behind and inspected it thoroughly.

Arcee: "Maybe… But at least we didn't leave empty handed. Looks like that were interested in this type of steel. Why I do not know. But from how much they were carrying, it's not good."

She then turned on her comm. and spoke to Ratchet about it.

Arcee: "Arcee to base, MECH got away with the goods, but we managed to retrieve one of them from their stockpile."

Ratchet heard that on the other line and responded.

Ratchet: _"Understood. I'll contact Fowler to retrieve it and clean up the mess MECH made."_

Arcee: "Better make it quick, we got Blackout's body in the wreckage without a head along with other dead MECHicons. That would be a bit impossible to clean. Oh, and prepare medical bay. Rodimus is minorly injured and could need to stitch up. Wouldn't want to have my sparkmate hurt, now do I?"

She soon ended the comm. as Jack heard that was surprised she turned herself around.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Whoa, whoa… We're sparkmates again? A few days ago, you were ignoring me."

The femme got up and turned to him, heading straight towards him.

Arcee: "I was… But I only did it because of what Optimus said. It was never anything intentional. I still love you Jack, I always will. It's just that Optimus has the tendency to make you into him, to ignore me and focus on being a Prime. That is something I didn't want and I didn't want to be spark broken like my older sister was. I'm just glad that you come to my rescue and that you still care for me. And to that, I am grateful."

As soon as she got close, she soon kissed him on the lips lightly and was amazed that she wanted to be back again.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "So… Back together again?"

Cee smiled and responded back.

Arcee: "Yeah, back together again. Let's hope what Optimus would say when we get back doesn't separate us for good."

As soon as they end their talk, Wheeljack approached the two and told them to break it up.

Wheeljack: "All right you lovebirds, that's enough from the two of you. Right now, I'm in need of a break after that little endeavor. Good thing the media wasn't around, otherwise, this Godfrey guy would've make a fool out of us.

To that end, the groundbridge appeared in front of them and the group slowly started to enter. But as they were leaving, they were in for one huge surprise the next day.

* * *

**That's all for chapter seven. Yep, another long chapter, but it was left with a good way to end the fight. After all, Optimus did that in the beginning of the third season of TFA. Might as well do it too just for laughs. Anyways, I got one more chapter to finish and this would be a quick one. Just as long as the next chapter of Invasion doesn't take forever. Please Review. And if anyone is interested in being a temporary replacement for Henry Cerro while he recovers, let me know.**


	8. Love and Secrets

**Well, here it is. The last chapter of Transformers Prime Season 3 Episode 3: Headmaster. Got to admit, this is was fun episode to make, and a short one to boot. By short I mean has less chapters then my pervious two episodes. I mean this story/episode was a long one, yes. But only because I am working on Transformers Prime: Invasion, doing one chapter each of the story. Of course this led to complaints with some people. Though my reviews and hits were really good (Being the last chapter has nine reviews and almost 700 hits), there are some reviewers, who like to keep their names anonymous and as guests, tend to bother me a lot. Asking me to update this story in a number of days and adding new characters when it's still too soon to bring some new ones. No matter how many times I ask, this person or persons keeps on nagging me on updating over and over again. So please stop telling me to update! I know you want to see this story so badly, but I have a lot of things to do. Can't be doing nothing but stories all day! Sheesh…**

**Now for the last chapter, I promise there's going to be a bit of a surprise at the end. Some people might think that there could be new characters from the Transformers universe. Now let me be clear on this, there will be characters in the Transformers universe making an appearance, but not in this story. It's still early and I don't want to rush things. Maybe in the next few episodes I'll bring a few in, but not too many. Not going to reveal much, but it would be something that I've hinted in episode three. Could be interesting. Got to say, I enjoyed doing my rendition of the Transformers Animated episode, Headmaster. Don't know if I could do more. But we'll see what happens.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Prime**

* * *

Chapter Eight: Love and Secrets

Head of POSGO: "We were kept hostage within POSGO as a group of what I believe to be mercenary soldiers that looked intent in taking the resources. But that's not the worse of it, some of these men aren't men. From what we saw, they look like huge metal robots that can transform into vehicles."

The following day, everything was back to normal for the Autobots after what happened at the POSGO manufacturing facility. With MECH now having Masterson in their corner and getting away with all that steel, there is no telling what they are going to do with it. Still, it was sort of a mission accomplished as they did defeat the Headmaster Unit that was attached to Blackout's body and rescued the hostages in the facility. Not to mention that Arcee's and Jack's relationship have been repaired after days of separation. Now the team can finally relax, knowing that they've managed to get through with saving the day without the media suspecting a thing. Sadly, that day didn't last.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "So you're saying that these things that assist these mercenaries are in fact the aliens?"

In the studio at Washington, Godfrey was at the stage speaking to the head of POSGO on the live feed at the factory that was being repaired. This person rubbed the back of his head and tried to put the pieces together.

Head of POSGO: "Well it does seem that way. But I don't think they were the aliens that attacked the town or the Autobots that swore to protect us."

Godfrey rubbed his chin and finds that really off.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Is that so? Tell me, what are they?"

The Head of POSGO tried to picture the new bots and got a vague description.

Head of POSGO: "Difficult to tell. Their armor was green and their faces are covered with masks. They were sort of like the mercenary soldiers that took us hostage. I don't know if they were working for these Deceptiocns or that of the Autobots. They could be some other party the government doesn't know about."

Godfrey listened to all of this and was very intrigued about it.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Interesting… And exactly what did they want from your company?"

The person shrugged his shoulders and explained as much as he could.

Head of POSGO: "Nothing in particular. All they wanted is a certain type of steel that can handle the most aggressive of environments. No money, no private files, nothing! Just some of my steel."

The host listened in and believed that he has all the information needed in getting his story together.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Well thank you for sharing your experience in that endeavor. You've certainly given us a clear idea of what we're up against."

The Head of POSGO gave a quick nod and a smile.

Head of POSGO: "Thank you for taking the time in listening to my story. I don't think anyone else would believe it."

Gordon gave a small smirk and was responded with glee.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "Oh I'm a believer my friend. I'm a believer…"

Once the interview ended, the screen went blank and Godfrey turned to the camera and gave out his conclusion.

G. Gordon Godfrey: "There you have it folks. My special interview proves that this alien war is far from over. Turns out there is a third faction within this secret war and looks like they are preparing to join in the fight. Who are this new faction? What is their purpose? Are they fighting on our side? Are they working for themselves? Those are the questions that need to be answered. Will we get those answers? Probably not. But mark my words, I, G. Gordon Godfrey will dig into this mystery and find out about this mysterious third group."

* * *

G. Gordon Godfrey: _"We'll be right back with my final thoughts in the matter."_

The screen went blank as a bumper appeared that said, 'G. Gordon Godfrey Show.'. Panning away, Team Prime watched what happened on the screen at their base and was a little angry over how Godfrey managed to get a hold of the person in charge of POSGO. Wheeljack looked to him and pissed him the most.

Wheeljack: "Man… I'm really starting to hate that guy."

Arcee crossed her arms and had the same disdain as him.

Arcee: "I strongly agree with you Wheeljack. We worked so hard in keeping the incident last night under wraps. Yet after what we've been through, this sleaze ball managed to sniff it out and expose it in front of everyone?! How can he do that?"

Next to the live feed screen is another window showing Agent Fowler at his desk, explaining to the team on how Godfrey gets his news.

Agent Fowler: "Gordon does tend to dig up dirt whenever there's a juicy story that came up. But you did managed to accomplish one thing. The POSGO chairman or his employees and workers didn't see you during MECH's takeover. So it's safe to say that your arrival didn't complicate your reputation."

The femme though crossed her arms and retorted back on the situation.

Arcee: "But this person knew of MECH and what they did. If Godfrey or Attinger dig deeper into that, then they'll soon find out that we were involved."

Fowler looked to Cee and told her that it will be all right.

Agent Fowler: "Don't worry; I got my best undercover agents keeping close watch on those two even as we speak. After that stunt those two pulled when I was on it, the government can't have them exposing more secrets from our end. With rumors of an emergency meeting at the UN about this alien war, we cannot have those two create more problems for us."

Arcee: "What about the clean up? Has everything been taken care of?"

Agent Fowler: "Just about. Repairs could take some time, but at least it's not as bad as the Sumdac Systems debacle in Detroit. As for the body of Blackout along with the new class of MECHicons you've encountered, they've been transferred to the impound to join with Nemesis Prime for study. With MECH becoming more devious, we have a better understanding in what we're up against."

Arcee: "What about that piece of steel MECH dropped. Do you know what it is and what's it for?"

Fowler heard that and explained about that said steel.

Agent Fowler: "Not much. Giving what the employees said, they said that the steel they took is the Tungsten."

The group listened in and was confused about that.

Smokescreen: "The Tungsten?"

Fowler nodded and explained about it.

Agent Fowler: "It is a special type of steel that can survive through the harshest of environments. That pack of steel was supposed to head to Dubai for a construction of a new building they were planning. Of course, that was until MECH came in and took it all."

Everyone looked to each other and wasn't sure why MECH would go through all that trouble just to take that much steel. Arcee then looked to the former army ranger and asked about the steel.

Arcee: "Do you know what MECH is planning to do with that much steel?"

Fowler shrugged his shoulders, stating that he was no clue.

Agent Fowler: "Still no clue. But what I said before, the amount of steel they now have could mean something dangerous. I'll try to look into it as much as I could. But until then, it's in the air as of what is bound to happen. Still, we'll assume it's nothing too pleasant."

The femme gave a bit of a warm smile and decided to end the talk.

Arcee: "Thank you, Fowler. You are truly a big help."

The former Army Ranger smirked himself and was glad to help out.

Agent Fowler: "I'm no longer your liaison, but I can handle the clean up. It's the best I can do. I'll update you if something comes up. Fowler out."

The vid window disappeared as the talk ended. Once the briefing was over, Arcee took a deep sigh and still thought they failed on their mission. Jack could see her depressed and decided to comfort her, placing his servo on her shoulder the sooth her.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Hey… Don't beat yourself up over this. At least we saved a lot of innocent people. We were successful over that."

The two-wheeler turned to him and gave a bit of a smile before giving him a serious dose of reality.

Arcee: "That might be true, Jack. But even if we saved lives, we still couldn't stop MECH. Now they got away again with the resources and we couldn't do anything to stop them. We screwed up, badly."

The new Prime sighed and could tell that she won't move on. Before he could find a way to snapping her out of it, they could hear a demanding voice from behind them.

Optimus Prime: "Neither blame or pity cannot make amends to our failures. But by learning from what has happened and improving on our lessons will make us stronger."

Everyone soon turned to the voice and saw Optimus sitting on his Cybertronian wheelchair with June standing right behind him and Ratchet next to him. With their leader there, Arcee stepped forward and decided to explain things to him.

Arcee: "Optimus, please understand that MECH got the best of us, not once, but twice. They have been getting smarter on us every time we tried to stop them. No matter what we do, they always get the best of us."

Optimus looked to her and knew what she and the others are going through right now. Giving a deep sigh, he told her that it was nothing that can't be done.

Optimus Prime: "I understand how upsetting this is. Giving that the enemy we are now facing has the advantage over us. But know this… With this situation that we are all in, we will rise up to the challenge and overcome all odds. That includes myself."

Everyone turned to the Prime was a bit shocked by that news.

Bulkhead: "Wow, Optimus! You having your own problems? I never really thought that you are going through the same things we have."

Bumblebee: _**(Yeah. You were in the base the whole time, recovering from your imprisonment and torture at Darkmount, while we were handling MECH.)**_

Optimus looked to the two and explained why he was at fault as well.

Optimus Prime: "Indeed, I was in no involvement with MECH or Masterson. But I knew that I was the one that was holding one of our own back."

He soon turned to the young Prime and explained of what he said to him.

Optimus Prime: "Jackson Darby… Rodimus Prime… The reason why I train you is to be prepared for your time as leader of the Autobots. However, I've forgotten that my teachings has lead me to not knowing your own limits. You are young and your power is still developing as you learn to adapt to it. And to that, my forcing on your teachings has also lead to what you cherished the most."

He soon turned to Arcee and then back to him to continue.

Optimus Prime: "It is strongly obvious that my forceful teachings has made me forget about what matters the most. Companionship… My relationship with Elita-One was a bumpy one due to my own destiny. But I was older and wiser in my life cycle. You, however, are still young and inexperienced, and for that I've made you alienated your own teammates, including Arcee. I am fully aware that the two of you have a strong connection with each other and for that I have separated the both of you for the sake of you following in my footsteps. However, giving what you told me Jack, I soon realized that you were right about me doing the same thing that I did with Elita. And to that, I am sorry for putting both of you through this torment. But when I sent you back into the field, regardless of your training, I soon realized that you have changed."

The group listened in and could tell where Optimus was going with this. But they didn't expect what happened next. Slowly, Optimus got up from his wheelchair and stood a little wobbly. Then he slowly makes his walk to the two spark mates one step at a time. The team looked on in disbelief as they were on standby incase he falls. As he was making the slow walk, he finished with what he was saying.

Optimus Prime: "You managed to overcome your struggles, learn to control your Prime abilities, and pinpointed your enemy's weakness to exploit. It has seemed that I taught you well. So much so that I think that I cannot keep the two of you apart for so long. Which is why that while you are in training, you can be with the team during missions. And I will grant you the free time you need with Arcee. After all, a leader must look out for those that matter, especially a femme quite like her."

Both Jack and Cee starred at Prime and was stunned by this turn of events. Not only that Optimus will let the young Prime take part in missions while training, but also he's letting him spend time with Arcee. It was a shocker none of them didn't expect. The two then turned to each other and had wide smiles on their faces before Jack turned back and thanked him.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Thank you for understanding me, Optimus."

The Autobot leader gave a warm smile and told him that it was nothing.

Optimus Prime: "No, young Darby. I would be the one to thank you. If you didn't open up to your feelings and remind me of my relationship with Elita, then perhaps we would've lost a valuable soldier in Arcee. And a spark mate as well. And to that, I'm glad that you and Arcee are together throughout these hardships. I am grateful that you showed me the errors of my ways and happy for the two of you. I wish you two the best of luck."

The two Autobots were pleased with his condolences and were glad to be together again. Optimus managed to walk to them just enough to buckle and went down to his knee. Both Ratchet and Altra approached the down leader to help him up.

Ratchet: "Easy Optimus. You can't strain yourself too much."

Optimus looked to the doctor and gave a bit of a smile.

Optimus Prime: "My apologize, old friend. I suppose I shouldn't have got up in the first place."

Ratch though smiled himself and could tell that he's recovering well.

Ratchet: "Well, at least you're walking is improving more and more. I say in an Earth week, you will be on your feet before you know it."

Optimus was glad that his recovery was going well.

Optimus Prime: "Thank you Ratchet."

Ratch chuckled and responded back.

Ratchet: "Don't thank me. You are the one that's overcoming the pain. However, I can't clear you until you are a hundred percent ready to be back in the field."

Optimus nodded and understood what he meant.

Optimus Prime: "Time heals all wounds. Mine must heal from time as well."

As the two medics escorted Optimus back to the wheelchair, Jack and Arcee looked to each other and decided to make their amends.

Arcee: "So, what should we do now after a mission like that?"

Rodimus thought hard and came up with a really good idea.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Why not do what we were thinking days ago. The Grand Canyon?"

Cee just smiled and liked the idea.

Arcee: "You took the words right out of my mouth."

The two then lightly kissed each other before the femme makes her leave.

Arcee: "Let me take a quick oil bath and I'll be ready."

Jack nodded and waited for her.

Jack/Rodimus Prime: "Don't take too long."

Arcee gave the quick gesture and walked away to get her oil bath, after a difficult mission like that. As she left, June looked to the two and couldn't help but to feel proud of her son.

June/Altra: "My sweet little boy, growing up before my eyes. I never thought that he would change so much."

Ratchet though looked to this and was a tad bit worried.

Ratchet: "Indeed, both Jack and Arcee have now become an item. But the question is how long? Optimus had to distance himself from Elita because of Megatron would know of their relationship. If he ever finds out of the new Prime and Arcee…"

Optimus looked to this as well and knew it would be a matter of time.

Optimus Prime: "You are right to be worried, Ratchet. With the two together, Megatron will find out about it and exploit it for his war efforts. They need to keep their relationship in the dark if they are to keep their love in tack. But until then, they should enjoy the moment the fullest. After all, they deserved what they have to go through. I pray that their relationship will blossom to something great. I just hope that nothing back will happen to them."

As soon as he finished with what he was saying, Wheeljack told the others that the show is coming back one.

Wheeljack: "Godfrey's back on! Let's see what he has to say this time."

Miko/Kaosu: "Preferably nothing good. Damn fragger wants to mock us to the point of alienation."

Firewall decided to turned a negative into a positive and gave them the brighter side of things.

Raf/Firewall: "At least we only have a few humans against us. It's not like we have an army of humans to worry about."

The Wrecking Cadet brushed that aside and decided to ignore him.

Miko/Kaosu: "Fine… Whatever… At least we got people like the Sumdacs, Sam, and Vince on our side. They are those that we can trust."

The group gathered around one of the monitors as Godfrey came on the air and end his show on his personal thoughts.

G. Gordon Godfrey: _"My fellow viewers, since the past few weeks, our world has changed. At first, we all thought that we were alone in this world, curious as to what if there was life beyond our planet. And just like that, we all got our answer, but in a terrible way. For in the town of Jasper, Nevada, an armada of alien robots arrived and placed a metal tower close to the town and attacked the military and townsfolk in that town. Then we found out that there is a secret war between the Autobots and the Decepticons, the same Decepticons that made a statement on that town. Meanwhile the Autobots didn't defend that town, but cower in fear, hiding the shadows while our kind gets decimated. They said that they are the protectors of this world, yet where was the protection? Now, we have a third party in this little war."_

* * *

Meanwhile, in an unknown location, three people were in the office. Those three were Commander Rourke, Henry Masterson, and the Director that was sitting in his chair. He was watching the same thing as the Autobots, Godfrey discussing about recent events as of late.

G. Gordon Godfrey: _"This third party is unknown to us. What we do know is that this group is aided by humans. What are they? Terrorists? Heroes? Or are they vigilantes? These are questions that we deserve answers to. But rest assure that your trusty anchor will get to the bottom of this."_

The Director heard enough as he clicked on the close icon and slanted down to his desk, looking a little upset.

Director: "I'm not happy about this… You left eyewitnesses alive to reveal our existence. The board won't be pleased."

Masterson laid back on his chair and told him that everything is under control.

Henry Masterson: "Chill out, Director dude. That stiff said that it was a third party working with the humans. He didn't mention anything that it was MECH."

The Commander stepped forward and continued with what the young scientist said.

Commander Rourke: "I agree with Masterson. The person in charge of the steel company didn't know the exact identity of MECH and I didn't reveal much of our existence. Even if he knew more then he thinks, no one would've believed him or his staff."

The Director got up and gave them his two cents.

Director: "Whatever the case, these individuals know of us and are talking about it on the news. If that's the case, then the board will know of this and come to me for questions, since my creations were present. Even if Godfrey doesn't know of us, he has his way in digging the dirt on us."

Commander Rourke: "So now what's going to happen now? What our next move?"

The head of MECH's science division thought this through and decided to continue with the work.

Director: "We still of a project that needs to be done. Have all that steel transfer into one of our private warehouses to begin melting and constructing. I need that framework done before we can move on to the next phase. But we have to leave it in the dark in front of the board, knowing that they will find out that it was I that took that steel without their permission. Have to come up with a really good excuse about why I stole some steel in that company. Perhaps give them a little honesty on a new weapon I'm working on."

Rourke nodded and followed that order.

Commander Rourke: "Understood, Director. I'll get right on it."

The two soon enough made their leave and left the office. Masterson though remained curious about the Director's line of work and decided to join in as he jumped off the chair and followed them. As the three were in the hallway, Henry got close to the head scientist and started to apologize to him.

Henry Masterson: "Hey, um… Sorry about messing up back as POSGO. I had everything under control until that young prick tricked me into Transforming. I didn't expect that the body you gave me was reserved for a much smaller head. I screwed up pretty badly."

The Director turned to him and told him that he was wrong.

Director: "That's not true, Mr. Masterson. Though your failure cost us what's left of Blackout, you did however kept the Autobots distracted long enough for Rourke to collect the steel needed for my project. And we have enough to continue with my work."

Henry rubbed the back of his head and was wondering about that project.

Henry Masterson: "Yeah… About that… I know you brought me in to handle this project of yours, but you never explained to me much about it."

Director: "That is because I have to be sure to trust you. And after what you done for me, despite that little hiccup, you have proven yourself worthy in taking part of MECH's work."

The three soon approached the huge doors with two MECHicons guarding it. That's when Masterson asked again.

Henry Masterson: "That's great and all, but you still didn't explain to me what this project of yours is about."

The Director then typed a code to the door to gain access to the room.

Director: "Since you are curious as of this project, allow me to give you a clear idea of what I'm working on."

Soon enough, the doors opened up as the three got in. Once they were inside, Masterson was stunned at the sight of the place. It was what looked like a command center with multiple monitors around a huge wide screen. There were soldiers and scientists working around the clock as a few of them were on the console on the work shift. But that wasn't the half of it. On the main screen were schematics of what looked like an alien like tunnel all in a 3D rotated model. Starring at it, he doesn't know what to say.

Henry Masterson: "Whoa… What the Hell is that?"

The Director went next to him and explained about this project of his.

Director: "That, my dear Masterson, is Project Noah. The schematics you see is what we believe to be how the Autobots and Decepticons use to get around our planet. We managed to obtain it last week from the Autobots, with a little force, and now have the plans necessary to use it for our own cause. With this technology, we can move in and out of areas that would be impossible to get through. Not to mention saving it for another plan of mine."

The scientist turned to him and was curious about what he just said.

Henry Masterson: "Plan? What plan?"

The Director crossed his arms and decided to leave him in the dark about it.

Director: "That part is classified. What you should know is that I need an extra set of hands in getting this project into fruition. With Sumdac leaving us over personal reasons, I can only rely on you in continuing where he picked up. If you're interested."

Masterson remained silent as he was in awe by this project of the Director's. There are some things that didn't make sense in this project. But after seeing the MECHicons in person, nothing is impossible for MECH. With their help, his own work would be just as awesome as he would imagine. Turning back to him, he smirked and accepted his offer.

Henry Masterson: "All right… I'm gamed. What is it you want me to do?"

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Detroit, Sumdac Systems was under damage control as work crew repaired the damage from the first attack between the Autobots and the Headmaster Unit. In Prof. Sumdac's office slash lab, he was sitting on his desk, speaking to Sari on the phone while Godfrey's show was still on.

G. Gordon Godfrey: _"It's bad enough that we have to deal with a two alien factions and their little Civil War with us in the middle. Now we have to deal with a third party that we have no idea of their intensions, be that good or bad. Which is why the World Leaders need to act now and set up this emergency meeting to handle this crisis! For if we don't stop this, it will soon spiral out of control and we will be facing extinction!"_

As Godfrey continued with his final thoughts, Sumdac spoke to his daughter on the phone.

Professor Sumdac: "I'm sorry, Sari, but I can't get home for tonight. Powell is trying to repair the damage in my company after that battle and I need to make sure that all my work is intact. After what just happened between the Autobots and Masterson, he's a little on edge of inviting them over again and cannot have more trouble with them."

Sari was on the other line and understood what he meant.

Sari: _"I got it dad. You need to make sure that your reputation didn't get damaged. Sorry about bringing the Autobots in your company to begin with. If I known that was going to happen…"_

Before she could finish in her apology, Isaac lifted his hand and told her that it was all right.

Professor Sumdac: "It's not your fault, Sari. None of us wouldn't expect something like that to happen in my business. In fact, I was relieved that they had come. If it hadn't been for them, them Masterson would've demolished my factory and the damage would've been far worse then before. Not to mention that both of our lives would've been lost. And to that, I'm very grateful for them."

Sari heard that on the other side and was pleased with what he said.

Sari: _"Thanks dad. I'm glad that the Autobots came too. Otherwise, I would've lost a father as well."_

Sumdac sighed and remembered what happened to her mother many years ago.

Professor Sumdac: "Yes, of course, Sari. I miss your mother more then you have. But understand, that she still within our hearts. Now it's getting late. Get yourself straight to bed. Tomorrow you have to be in school. Get some sleep. And please, don't let Sparkplug eat anything metal in the house."

Sari laughed on the phone as she responded back to him.

Sari: _"Of course, dad. I'll be sure he got a nice snack before I go to bed. Night."_

The professor smiled and finished the conversation.

Professor Sumdac: "Goodnight."

He soon hung up the phone and gave a deep sigh. He soon turned to the TV and watched the end of Godfrey's news show.

G. Gordon Godfrey: _"And what of the Autobots that promised to protect us? How are they going to protect us after the many lives lost at Jasper? Should we trust them after what happened? Only time will tell. I'm Gordon Godfrey. Have a safe and good night."_

The professor turned off the TV and was very silent about it.

Professor Sumdac: "It's a shame that not everyone is comfortable with the Autobots. All they want is to protect humanity."

He soon walked away from his desk and headed straight to a bookshelf. Pulling a piece of book down, the shelf opened up completely to reveal a hidden door. He then inputted a code on the door console and it flashed green, indicating that it was opened. The doorway opened up like an elevator as he soon entered the elevator shaft. Pushing the one button down, the lift soon descended into a secret floor of his complex. As he descended down, he was contemplating on what Godfrey just said.

Professor Sumdac: "Even if what Godfrey said is true, there are still those that believe that the Autobots our of only salvation throughout this war. I for one trust them because they protect my daughter and I'm very grateful for that."

The elevator soon made a complete stop as the door opened in front of him. Slowly walking out, he was in a dark room with no light anywhere. That is until he pulled the lever down and the lights around started to flicker, revealing a huge room with lab tables, computers, and tools around the area. It was strongly obvious that it was his secret lab where most of his work is done. That and a huge secret behind his work.

Professor Sumdac: "But if they ever find out about the truth behind my Automatons, will they be able to trust me?"

He soon turned to the room to see what looked like robot bodies dangling on chains and walls. Most of which were ripped to pieces or had their limps torn off while the rest of the body parts were strewn on a few tables. The worst part of it is that some of the robots weren't human made. It's almost looked like those bots were… Cybertronian in nature. What are they doing in Sumdac's lab? What secret is he keeping from the Autobots? Whatever happens, it will all go downhill from there.

The End

* * *

Meanwhile…

Back at the cafeteria of POSGO, the kitchen was a total wreck as all that was left were charred remains of kitchen appliances and the like. But in the pantry door, there was loud knocking at the door as someone was trying to get the attention of anyone that's on the outside. That someone was one of the MECH soldiers that were locked up in their thanks to Firewall's actions.

MECH Soldier 10: "Hello? Is anyone there? I don't hear anything from here. Did we win? If there someone out there, can you please open the door on the other side? Not that I'm complaining, but I'm starting to get a little claustrophobic. So please let me out. Please…?"

* * *

**And so ends Episode 3 of my version of Transformers Prime: Season 3. Like I said before, story was quicker then the previous episodes, giving the time that I have. Preferably because I am making some episodes shorter then others depending of the plot I'm working with. You will expect episodes like this one in the near future cause there are a variety of plots that could shorten them. As for the ending of this episode. I'm assuming you want to know about that secret lab with the dead Cybertronians Sumdac has. Well, even if I wish to explain about it, I can't. It would really spoil the fun. You just have to wait for the answer yourself when one of the stories will involve Sari and her origins, and we all know where I'm going with that. And just to be clear, there will be Transformers of both factions coming to this season, alive and well. So don't get too upset about it. Anyways, thanks for everyone reading this third episode. Stay tune for the next episode where I re-introduced two characters from one of my pervious stories. For those of you how read my story, _'Transformers Prime: John and Elsa'_ you know what I mean. As for the rest of you, you better start reading it right away. Cause once I finish with the next chapter of Transformers Prime: Invasion. I'll be starting with the fourth episode of Season 3. Merry Christmas everyone! Please Reivew.**


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